Today’s youth share their views on June 16

Youth Day commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of June 16, 1976.

This year will be the 48th anniversary of the student uprising in Soweto after protests erupted in African schools. This was after a directive from the then-Bantu Education Department that Afrikaans had to be used on an equal basis with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools.

On June 16, 1976, between 3 000 and 10 000 students mobilised by the South African Students Movement’s (SASM) action committee supported by the Black Conscious Movement marched peacefully to demonstrate and protest against the government’s directive.

On their pathway, they were met by heavily armed police who fired teargas and later live ammunition on demonstrating students. This resulted in a widespread revolt that turned into an uprising against the government. While the uprising began in Soweto, it spread across the country and carried on until the following year.

The aftermath of the events of June 16, 1976, had dire consequences for the Apartheid government as images of the police firing on peacefully demonstrating students led an international revulsion against South Africa.

Following the advent of democracy in 1994, the new democratic government declared June 16 as National Youth Day and June as Youth Month.

The declaration honours the contribution of the youth in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa.

The youth of today on the challenges they face, and their aspirations for a brighter future:

Ntokozo Bavuma:
“I think that Youth Day is important for the youth and should not be celebrated once a year. We need to recognise the energy, creativity, and potential of young people. The contributions they make to our society, from innovation to art to activism, need to be celebrated more, and that way we can empower and support the youth to become leaders and change-makers.”

Itumeleng Marule:
“Judging from the youth of today, we really do not know what we are celebrating, if I were to be honest. In the movies and articles that I have seen about June 16, the youth were fighting for their rights. These days we are taught something different, and I believe we need to be reminded of the importance of Youth Day and Youth Month.”

Sfiso Manji:
Youth Day is a remembrance of what that struggle was about in 1976 and the years before that. One thing I have realised is that the youth of today are very powerful and strong. Without the youth, there is no next generation. We, as youth, need to start being more involved in our country and developing who we are as people.”

Bridget Makawu:
“Youth Day is sort of like a tradition that needs to be passed on from generation to generation to remind our children and the ones coming after them of the struggle that the youth faced back then.”

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