SA25
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We commemorate a great milestone - 25 years of constitutional democracy with a new commemorative circulation coin range aptly titled SA25. This coin range commemorates the great strides made in our pursuit of freedom. It highlights just a few of the rights that resonated the most with citizens that were surveyed in South Africa. The SA25 coin range is therefore a relevant and pertinent commemoration of the historic milestone it celebrates.
The R2 Children’s Rights circulation coin stands for the human rights children have had access to over the past 25 years of constitutional democracy. Every child needs physical protection, food, education and healthcare. In South Africa, children’s rights include the equal protection of their civil rights and freedom from discrimination on the basis of innate characteristics such as race, gender, nationality and disability to name but a few. Artist Neo Mahlangu wanted the coin’s design to display the joy of children and engender a sense of nostalgia in adults, in the hope of fostering the united goal of protecting the children in our nation.
The right to education has been recognised as a human right in a number of countries and world-renowned international conventions and organisations such as UNESCO. In South Africa, we are proud that our constitutional democracy endorses this right and embraces the responsibility we have as a nation, to provide basic education to any individual of any age. Designed by Neo Mahlangu, the R2 Right to Education circulation coin represents the commitment to providing access to education in this country. The coin design illustrates education at different levels, from pre-school right up to the individual pursuing qualifications in their mature years.
Having environmental rights means being afforded access to natural resources, including the water, food and clean air that enable one’s survival. Our constitution declares that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations. Designer Maaike Bakker featured simplified and integrated elements in the R2 Environmental Rights circulation coin’s artistry, portraying the great outdoors across South Africa. Her desire is that the majestic environment we live in, will be protected and preserved, so all who inhabit it, may enjoy it.
The freedom to move around as one pleases within our country and abroad, is perhaps one of the most significant rights South Africans have access to. The dark history of the apartheid era, which restricted the movement of black people and enforced segregation of residential dwellings, has been replaced by the right to freely travel, live and work where one chooses. Citing this as his most significant and challenging work as an artist, Rasty Knayles endeavoured to illustrate how free we are to explore our beautiful country. The emblems on this coin all portray the freedom 25 years of constitutional democracy has given us access to.
The right to choose, change or practise one’s beliefs and opinions in South Africa, is an extraordinary liberty worth celebrating. Detailed in Section 15(1) of the Bill of Rights, South African citizens have the freedom to have and follow any belief system or religion they choose and to manifest that belief by way of practice, teaching or worship. Peter Mammes successfully depicted this in his design of this R2 circulation coin by using raised hands – the sign language for religion. The hands on their own do not convey gender, colour, age or any information that might exclude any group; rather, they convey a sense of unity and freedom, speaking universally to everyone across every creed and religion.
Having been governed by an apartheid regime that promoted white supremacy for social, political and economic gain; extreme racial segregation and discrimination; and the repression of the black majority, South Africans now have the privilege of celebrating 25 years of constitutional democracy where one of the predominant themes is to live and strive for freedom. Lady Skollie’s design of the R5 circulation coin shows masses placing their votes for a nation void of discrimination, where all peoples are equal. Having such a monumental effect on our history in its condemnation of this much-maligned system, the words “to live and strive for freedom” ring true and were included in the South African national anthem.
The R2 Children’s Rights circulation coin stands for the human rights children have had access to over the past 25 years of constitutional democracy. Every child needs physical protection, food, education and healthcare. In South Africa, children’s rights include the equal protection of their civil rights and freedom from discrimination on the basis of innate characteristics such as race, gender, nationality and disability to name but a few. Artist Neo Mahlangu wanted the coin’s design to display the joy of children and engender a sense of nostalgia in adults, in the hope of fostering the united goal of protecting the children in our nation.
The right to education has been recognised as a human right in a number of countries and world-renowned international conventions and organisations such as UNESCO. In South Africa, we are proud that our constitutional democracy endorses this right and embraces the responsibility we have as a nation, to provide basic education to any individual of any age. Designed by Neo Mahlangu, the R2 Right to Education circulation coin represents the commitment to providing access to education in this country. The coin design illustrates education at different levels, from pre-school right up to the individual pursuing qualifications in their mature years.
Having environmental rights means being afforded access to natural resources, including the water, food and clean air that enable one’s survival. Our constitution declares that everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations. Designer Maaike Bakker featured simplified and integrated elements in the R2 Environmental Rights circulation coin’s artistry, portraying the great outdoors across South Africa. Her desire is that the majestic environment we live in, will be protected and preserved, so all who inhabit it, may enjoy it.
The freedom to move around as one pleases within our country and abroad, is perhaps one of the most significant rights South Africans have access to. The dark history of the apartheid era, which restricted the movement of black people and enforced segregation of residential dwellings, has been replaced by the right to freely travel, live and work where one chooses. Citing this as his most significant and challenging work as an artist, Rasty Knayles endeavoured to illustrate how free we are to explore our beautiful country. The emblems on this coin all portray the freedom 25 years of constitutional democracy has given us access to.
The right to choose, change or practice one’s beliefs and opinions in South Africa, is an extraordinary liberty worth celebrating. Detailed in Section 15(1) of the Bill of Rights, South African citizens have the freedom to have and follow any belief system or religion they choose and to manifest that belief by way of practice, teaching or worship. Peter Mammes successfully depicted this in his design of this R2 circulation coin by using raised hands – the sign language for religion. The hands on their own do not convey gender, colour, age or any information that might exclude any group; rather, they convey a sense of unity and freedom, speaking universally to everyone across every creed and religion.
Having been governed by an apartheid regime that promoted white supremacy for social, political and economic gain; extreme racial segregation and discrimination; and the repression of the black majority, South Africans now have the privilege of celebrating 25 years of constitutional democracy where one of the predominant themes is to live and strive for freedom. Lady Skollie’s design of the R5 circulation coin shows masses placing their votes for a nation void of discrimination, where all peoples are equal. Having such a monumental effect on our history in its condemnation of this much-maligned system, the words “to live and strive for freedom” ring true and were included in the South African national anthem.
The R2 and R5 coins displayed herein are circulation coins, worth their face value of R2 and R5 respectively.
