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Sowetan sounds wake-up call

Another Freedom Day has come and gone, but this year for the first time a loud voice has sounded a wake-up call to our nation.

Another Freedom Day has come and gone, but this year for the first time a loud voice has sounded a wake-up call to our nation.

This voice was yours, Sowetan. Creatively adapting the famous words of Martin Luther King Jr you boldly declared that despite the celebration of our freedom, a corrosion has crept into our nation which threatens to undermine the freedoms that have been fought for and the victory that is celebrated.

The voice of Sowetan, which drew attention to the HIV-Aids tsunami and the scourge of crime which has engulfed us, was not a popular voice.

This was particularly so in certain circles where any criticism of the state of the nation is unwelcome. We applaud you for your boldness in being willing to push issues to the fore that many prefer would remain hidden, far from the public eye.

Only when we face up to the brutal reality of where we are as a nation - and where we are going - can we begin to deal with the situation and effect change for the better.

Bruce Harbour, national chairman, African Christian Democratic Party, Pretoria

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