179pp., paperback, First SA Edition, Johannesburg, 2015
Previously published in New Delhi in 1995.
A popular history, published in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Congress of the People and the 21st anniversary of South Africa's democracy.
The Congress of the People was held over the weekend of 25–26 June 1955 in an open field in Kliptown, south of Johannesburg. Here, the Freedom Charter was formally approved by several thousand delegates.
Forewords by Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada.
"The Freedom Charter became the beacon of the liberation movement and represented the cornerstone of demands by the Congress Movement for decades to come. Today, it remains the centrepiece of discussion and debate as we search for ways of transforming and growing our economy, reducing poverty and creating productive employment for all.
Ismail Vadi must be complimented for meticulously researching and recording the history of the Congress of the People and the Freedom Charter" Ahmed Kathrada, from his foreword
Dr Ismail Vadi is a member of the Executive Council for Roads and Transport in Gauteng. He currently serves on the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee of the ANC. A former teacher he lectured in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Witwatersrand and was a founder member of the Progressive Teachers’ League and the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union.