By The Free State Provincial Government (FSPG) has expressed disappointment in the claims making rounds that the Freedom Day event had a low turnout and was disrupted by an individual. The Provincial Government has dismissed the claims as false, sensationalist, and intended to misrepresent the success and spirit of the historic day.
According to Ms Matshediso Setai, the Chief Director: Government Communications Services for the FSPG, it has noted with serious concern a series of misleading reports and social media claims regarding the National Freedom Day celebrations held on 27 April 2026.
Setai says the Provincial Government strongly rebukes any false narratives suggesting that the event experienced a low turnout of participants or that the official programme was disrupted by an individual approaching President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie.
“These claims are categorically false, sensationalist, and intended to misrepresent the success and spirit of this historic day,” said Matshediso Setai.
“The FSPG supports and endorses the clarification issued by the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). Furthermore, it must be noted that the plan from the onset was to stage an indoor event due to harsh weather conditions as this was an early morning event.
A marquee with a capacity of 10 000 seats was secured to ensure that thousands of patriotic South Africans are cushioned from the cold morning weather as advised by the South African Weather Bureau,” she continued.
Setai further explained that the formal programme of the Freedom Day celebrations had already concluded at the time an individual briefly made his way onto the stage.
She said proceedings had transitioned into a cultural performance segment, with the President and dignitaries engaging in a celebratory manner. The individual acted out of excitement and enthusiasm, not malice. Security personnel responded swiftly and appropriately. No disruption to the official programme occurred, and the President later warmly engaged with members of the public, including the individual concerned.
“Most troubling are the unfounded assertions that the event recorded a low turnout of ordinary citizens. The Free State Provincial Government wishes to place on record that these claims are completely untrue and malicious.
On the contrary, we witnessed one of the highest numbers of public participants at a Freedom Day celebration in recent years. Thousands of ordinary South Africans, families, young people, children, and the elderly, gathered in a peaceful, orderly, and celebratory manner. The atmosphere was one of joy, patriotism, and pride in our democratic achievements.
The presence of so many citizens, many of whom travelled from across the province, is a powerful testament to the health and vitality of our democracy. We challenge anyone peddling the falsehood of low turnout to provide evidence. No such evidence exists because the truth is clear: the people of the Free State and beyond came out in their numbers to celebrate 32 years of freedom,” said Setai.
“The FSPG calls upon all media houses, journalists, and social media users to verify information before publishing or sharing. Irresponsible reporting that exaggerates or fabricates low turnout does a disservice to our hard-won democracy. We urge the public to rely on official communication channels and reject sensationalism.
Government acknowledges and embraces digital transition as a necessary phenomenon in the 21st century but urges the public to be aware of the downside of misinformation and disinformation generated by AI interface through the usage of bots to peddle wrong narratives that mislead the public.
Let us honour the memory of those who fought for our freedom by defending the truth and celebrating our collective progress,” she concluded.
