• Raliphi Master Push Xolelizwe from Chief Mogale, Ward 36 writes:
On Saturday, June 18, the youth of Abissai Kgatwane Nkoe branch, Ward 10 in Kagiso had the fortune of tapping into the wisdom of war veterans.
The dialogue was organised by the ANC Youth League chairperson Xolile McDonald Molefe, who is also a youth representative in the Ward 10 Committee. The event was held at Ward 10 offices in Kagiso, courtesy of unity, renewal and rebuilding the West Rand and Mogale City.
The discussion was centred on the history of Kagiso and the Class of 76. They also sought to find solutions to the mounting problems bedeviling our beautiful land South Africa.
The occasion was graced by the ward councillor Nomalungela Xhale; Cosas West Rand region chairperson Bongi Ndlanzi and Kamugelo Modise; ANCYL Ward 05 chairperson Thami Khuzwayo; and the chairperson of CIFSA Thabiso Mosadi.
Ndlanzi spoke first and set the framework for the discussion. He urged the youth to introspect and reflect on the above challenging question.
“We must not blame the government but ourselves for allowing the country to go down under our watch,” said Ndlanzi.
The speaker, who was emotional, appealed to the youth to do something about the state of decay of our country.
As I delivered the keynote address, I started by saying it’s been 46 years, but the people of Sebenzisa Street and Big Street in Kagiso will never forget the music that came from the Class of 76 on June 16.
On that historic peaceful march that later turned violent, the school children sang with passion, every word touching the soul. The songs gave us hope – singing was the only way we could express ourselves. It’s unfortunate that some of us died for the music.
I couldn’t understand why police would want to shoot innocent school kids who were doing nothing but singing. At the time, I was the head boy in my school and I was a very angry young man. So angry that I had joined the South African Students Movement (SASM), the then political youth arm of the Black Consciousness Movement which was credited with conscientising the youth of 1976.
Some of the leadership of SASM, including Teboho Tsietsi Mashinini; Seth Mazibuko; Murphy Morobe, head of communications in the Presidency; Pop Molefe, former premier of NW; and Sibongile Mkhabela (née Mthembu), now with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, tried to plead with police to stop shooting. Our pleas fell on deaf ears.
Unhappiness had been expressed at an instruction from the district office that compelled teachers to use Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. It was also a protest against Bantu education.
For the next three weeks after June 16, everyone in Sebenzisa and Big Street slept on the floor fearing for their lives. Bullets shattered windows and left holes in the walls.
The youth of today will only get to read about the events but I wonder if they would be able to fight like the brave kids of 1976.
Those kids are my heroes, they died for what they believed in. But today’s youngsters die for all the wrong reasons.
