Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.

This line is associated with Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s first democratically elected president in Pretoria on 10 May 1994, following the end of apartheid and the country’s first multiracial national elections. In his inaugural address, Mandela framed the transition as a collective national triumph and a moment of global significance, emphasizing reconciliation, constitutional democracy, and the promise of equal citizenship. The phrase “Let freedom reign” functions as a ceremonial proclamation, while the image of the sun “never set[ting]” evokes the dawning of a new era after decades of racial oppression and political struggle.

Mandela’s statement celebrates political liberation not merely as a change of government but as a moral and historical achievement—“so glorious” that it deserves cosmic imagery. “Let freedom reign” casts freedom as a sovereign principle meant to govern public life, implying institutions, laws, and daily conduct should be ordered around equality and human dignity. The claim that “the sun never set” suggests permanence and universality: this is a victory meant to endure and to inspire beyond South Africa. It also subtly counters apartheid’s long darkness with a metaphor of continuous daylight, signaling hope, renewal, and the responsibility to protect hard-won rights.