Press Release | June 3, 2020
This July 4th, we celebrate the 244th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Each year on this date, we pause for a moment to recommit ourselves to the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, and to celebrate our freedom.
2020 has proven to be a year for reflection, not just on how we do business and interact with one another during a global pandemic, but also on how we address racial injustice in the United States, and the global response to these issues. The United States remains committed to the principles of freedom, liberty, equality, and justice enshrined in our Constitution, and July 4 is an opportunity to reflect on how we will move forward as a country to uphold those ideals and be better, stronger, and greater than ever before.
Our Independence Day celebration this year is tempered by the knowledge that many Americans, South Africans, and people all over the world are struggling - with illness, with economic strain, and with uncertainty regarding the future. In keeping with the times, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, Lana Marks, will host a pyrotechnic display from Hill House in Waterkloof Ridge at 18:30 for Pretorians in the area to enjoy from the comfort of their homes. Ambassador Marks says, “I am confident that we will get through this pandemic as a global community, and the United States is committed to helping our fellow citizens and our friends here in South Africa and around the world as we work together to beat COVID-19. I hope this pyrotechnic display brings some joy to everyone enduring these difficult times.”
The pyrotechnics are made in the U.S.A. in the state of Alabama, will be launched with a firing system from New York, and a South African company will manage the display.
For the previous press release on the U.S. government’s initial funding to South Africa to support COVID-19, please visit here: Ford fulfils 50 000 Face Shields Order from US Department of Defense to Assist COVID-19 Efforts in Southern Africa
For information on the U.S. response to Coronavirus COVID-19, please visit the Centers for Disease for Control and Prevention: https://www.state.gov/coronavirus
For more information: Mallory Perrett
+27 79 111 3438| perrettm@state.gov