![Themba Hadebe Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/7fbbde73d561414a979ec95c365702bd/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
![Themba Hadebe Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/b2a901d9650a4dbcaaef43cd13db1ab4/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
![Themba Hadebe Lily Makhanya opens the classroom door at Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/a845c93cd3ed4197bd85c21f7dbb1280/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Lily Makhanya opens the classroom door at Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
![Denis Farrell FILE - People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast a vote after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell. File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/451596866f0f4f52a878fd03bfd75a76/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - People queue to cast their votes In Soweto, South Africa April 27, 1994, in the country's first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast a vote after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell. File)
![Themba Hadebe Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/ff4ba0a7b89d454c920e4fa6201fe00e/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
![Denis Farrell FILE — Then African National Congress President Nelson Mandela, left, and secretary general Cyril Ramaphose, now South African President, right, at a news conference in Johannesburg Monday, August 30, 1993. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell/File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/f4e8f378d6694a308a3f33037c540950/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE — Then African National Congress President Nelson Mandela, left, and secretary general Cyril Ramaphose, now South African President, right, at a news conference in Johannesburg Monday, August 30, 1993. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell/File)
![John Parkin FILE - Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/John Parkin. File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/b5e213db0baf442bb5863ef59f088f7f/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE - Then African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela casts his vote April 27, 1994 near Durban, South Africa, in the country's first all-race elections. In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/John Parkin. File)
![Themba Hadebe FILE — A man walks along an informal settlement as a young girl plays next to the polluted Jukskei River in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg, South Africa Nov. 11, 2014. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom Day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe/File)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/6d0e7d99a45c43edb88185104ea206db/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
FILE — A man walks along an informal settlement as a young girl plays next to the polluted Jukskei River in Alexandra, northern Johannesburg, South Africa Nov. 11, 2014. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 the country will celebrate Freedom Day when In 1994 people braved long queues to cast votes after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the right to vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe/File)
![Themba Hadebe Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/c99e51ff428049e1805d025d1d5a13c9/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Nonki Kunene during an interview with The Associated Press in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. Thirty years ago Kunene joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
![Themba Hadebe Lily Makhanya at the Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/f00ed803988f41d29cebb25b789bb377/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Lily Makhanya at the Thabisang Primary School where she voted for the first time 30 years ago, in Soweto, South Africa, Monday, April 22, 2024. In 1994 Makhanya joined thousands of South Africans who braved long queues to cast a vote in South Africa's first ever elections after years of white minority rule which denied Black South Africans the vote. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)