Toespraak bij viering Freedom Day van Zuid-Afrika, vrijdag 12 juni 2026

Ambassador Madonsela,
Distinguished guests,

Let me start by clearing one thing up:
Freedom Day came first.

On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections.
For the very first time, all South Africans were able to vote.
And with that, apartheid officially came to an end.

At the time, in the Netherlands, we celebrated Queen’s Day on April 30,
so our national celebrations never truly overlapped.

That changed in 2013, when Willem-Alexander became our King.
Suddenly, we found ourselves with a small dilemma.

To be honest, perhaps His Majesty might have chosen a different birthday.
But of course, that was never his decision to make.

And so, since 2014, the Dutch celebrate King’s Day on April 27.
The South African Embassy in The Hague, wisely and graciously,
decided to slightly move its Freedom Day celebrations.

So let me begin by saying: thank you.
Thank you for that courtesy.
And thank you for inviting me to be here with you today to celebrate Freedom Day.

My first visit to South Africa was in 2019, when I attended both the UCLG World Congress and the annual summit of the Global Parliament of Mayors, held in Durban.

And in 2022, I had the privilege of traveling to Cape Town for the Global Summit of the Strong Cities Network.
Among other engagements, I visited Robben Island.

I also stood in Cape Town City Hall,
the place where Nelson Mandela delivered his first public speech after his release.

That moment, his freedom and his words, set the tone
for the democratic elections held four years later.
These are the elections we now commemorate each year on Freedom Day.

Today, a permanent exhibition
and a life-sized image of Nelson Mandela on the balcony of City Hall
remind us of that historic moment.

It is a remarkable place.
An impressive place.
A place where history was made.
You can feel it when you are there.
I most certainly did.

Freedom Day is, of course, a day to remember the long road to freedom.
But it is also a day to look ahead.

Because freedom is not merely the absence of oppression.
It is the presence of opportunity.

It is the ability to speak, to learn, to work, to create, and to dream without barriers.
It is the dignity of being recognized, respected, and valued as equal citizens of one nation.

South Africa is a country that has fought long and hard for these ideals.
And The Hague, as the international city of Peace and Justice,
deeply respects and applauds that commitment.

So I wish you all a happy, if slightly belated, Freedom Day.
And may that freedom continue to inspire not only South Africa, but all of us.

Thank you.