Post-Apartheid South Africa celebrated on Friday celebrated its 16th National Day of Reconciliation.

The day was celebrated across the country in different forms from loud outdoor music festivals and concerts, to family picnics and fun walks to wreath laying ceremonies for those that died during the struggle to attain freedom.

Prior to the country's first non racial election, the day was celebrated largely by Afrikaners as The Day of the Vow, a public holiday commemorating the Voortrekker victory over a Zulu army during the Battle of Blood River in 1838.

Addressing hundreds of people in Pretoria, South African President Jacob Zuma said: "by commemorating this day, we remember the generations of leaders and ordinary South Africans who came before us".

Zuma said South Africa was a unique nation and were able to move beyond deep-seated pain and divisions to build a non racial our country.

He said the manner in which this day was marked was a case in point.

"During the height of apartheid, December 16 was a blatant display of the divisions and pain," Zuma said.

"But exactly 16 years ago, the newly elected democratic government, under the leadership of President Nelson Mandela, decided to begin the process of cleansing and healing and declared  it  national day of reconciliation day."

Zuma said that another milestone on this journey of reconciliation was the opening of the Pretoria Central Prison Gallows Museum, where 134 political prisoners were executed.

On Thursday, the Gallows at Cmax Correctional facility formerly known as Pretoria Central Prison were re-opened as a museum.

Black and White

Zuma also said South Africa was on track in delivering basic services to people.

"The ongoing provision of housing, water, electricity, sanitation, roads and other services in areas that were deliberately excluded from development by the apartheid regime is a major contribution to the national process of healing," he said.

He said by 2007, the black middle class had grown to more than 2, 7 million.

"It is a small number, but still indicates progress that is being made to open up opportunities that were previously the preserve of a few".

He urged all South Africans, black and white, "to join hands to transform the country's economy into one that is not only owned, controlled and managed by the minority, but one in which the majority plays a meaningful and leading role".

A recent survey done by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation found that many South Africans believed the gap between the rich and poor was divisive.

It found that 66 percent of respondents believe national reconciliation was necessary and that 59 percent of South Africans felt the country had made progress since 1994.

But the FW De Klerk Foundation said that 2011 wasn't a good year for reconciliation in the country especially in the light of utterances by firebrand youth league leader, Julius Malema and the singing of "shoot the boer" song.

The foundation said the South Africans need to talk about race.