President Jacob Zuma delivers a speech to an excited crowd to celebrate the Freedom Day on April 27 (LI JIANGUO/CHINAFRICA)

South Africa is commemorating the 20th anniversary of post-apartheid democracy with "South Africa – a better place to live in" event in Pretoria, capital city of South Africa, on April 27.

During the main celebrations of the Freedom Day, thousands gathered in front of the Union Buildings to celebrate and listen to President Jacob Zuma's speech.

"Indeed we were free at last!" Zuma reminded the nation of what the country had gained since 1994. "We gained the rights to life, equality, freedom of movement, speech and association, worker rights, children's rights and women's rights."

"Today we celebrate the hard-won rights of workers, including workplace organizing, collective bargaining, equal pay for equal work, health and safety, skills development, minimum wages for workers in vulnerable sectors, the right to strike, and the right to peaceful protest," he continued.

Zuma also applauded achievements that have been made in reducing the level of crime in the past 20 years and admitted that there was still more to be done for all South Africans to fully enjoy the fruits of democracy.

"The next decade of freedom must be one in which we work together to advance economic transformation. We will continue to work with the business sector to advance broad-based black economic empowerment and affirmative action, in order to change the ownership, control and management of the economy," he concluded.

The celebration of 20 years of equality starts with a 20-gun salute in front of the Union Buildings in Pretoria (LI JIANGUO/CHINAFRICA)

Aerial displays by the South African Air Force (LI JIANGUO/CHINAFRICA)

A cultural parade, proudly displaying the diversity and solidarity of the country, entertains the crowd during the Freedom Day celebrations (LI JIANGUO/CHINAFRICA)

The cultural parade (LI JIANGUO/CHINAFRICA)

(Reporting from South Africa)