For the first time, Tshepo Aphane's 27th birthday celebration was, by his own words, "a very dull affair" yesterday.

"My birthday isn't the same as the previous years... it's a bit of a sad day cause of the lockdown restrictions not to be able to enjoy my day to the fullest with loved ones," he said.

Aphane, of Westpark in Pretoria, was turning just a year old when SA went to the polls for the first time in the democratic elections of 1994.

Even though he doesn't remember much about the country's first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela's presidency, Aphane's birthday celebrations often happened amid fanfare and mass gatherings due to the fact that the country would also be marking and celebrating Freedom Day.

As it's also a holiday, Aphane has gotten used to hosting friends and family for what has become a traditional birthday braai to celebrate both his birthday and Freedom Day.

Aphane told Sowetan yesterday that April 27 and the celebration thereof in the country meant a lot for him as it was all about recognising important values in a constitutional democracy like ours.

"For me Freedom Day means unity, perseverance, equality and freedom of speech. It's all about having human dignity and being able to celebrate that," Aphane said.

He knows that the freedom achieved in 1994 paved the way for him to attend some of the best former Model C schools in the country, which were once for whites only.

Aphane said this year was unique due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was very important for everyone to focus on saving lives and stopping the spread of Covid-19 rather than insisting on celebrating Freedom Day.

"I do understand the seriousness of the pandemic and prevention measures as well and the importance of it," Aphane added.