Lulu Johnson first saw the Freedom Charter in 1981, when he was sixteen, during the school boycotts, when he got involved in Cosas.

Johnson: We were just having discussions and also reading some material at school, and when there were stay-aways in Port Elizabeth. At that stage it was a matter of slogans. For example, we used “The people shall govern” intensively during the anti- Republic Day campaign. I remember that I got detained for Section 22 and then, whilst I was inside, I had problems with the police. I was convicted with malicious damage to property for scratching, with a nail, the clauses of the Charter on the back of the door of my cell. It was a matter of reciting the Charter clause by clause. Since then I have tried to understand it better. It's become clear to me that the Charter serves as an alternative programme. It shapes the future of our country in accordance with the nature of our national democratic struggle.

Q: Are the educational clauses of the Charter still relevant?

Johnson: “The doors of learning and culture shall be opened” is still our demand. We have the whole question of the age limit law and the payment of fees, money for books, school uniforms and so forth. This makes it impossible for many of our people to get education. On the other hand, the Charter says that the doors of learning and culture shall be opened, irrespective of colour, age … and whether we have money or not these doors need to be opened.