Are we really free?
Review asked some of the city's young boys if they thought teenagers in 2016 were more free than their counterparts 20 years ago.
POLOKWANE – Today, Freedom Day, celebrates 22 years of freedom in South-Africa, and the first post Apartheid general elections.
These elections were the first non-racial elections, where everyone over 18 from any race group, including foreign residents, were allowed to vote.
Previously, under the Apartheid regime, non-whites had only limited rights to vote.
Review asked some of the city’s young boys if they thought teenagers in 2016 were more free than their counterparts 20 years ago.
Maphutha Rapakwana (16) feels that young people these days are more free than 20 years ago. “We can do basically anything we want and are definitely more free.”
Erik Snyman (16) says no, they are not free. “We have more school work and sport pressure. He says the work is also harder.”
Motto Legoabe (17) feels that teenagers these days can do more than teenagers 20 years ago, as they have better access to education.
“Yes, we are definitely more free as we can do more things. We also do not have to make serious decisions like look for work or decisions about money,” says Zander Janse van Rensburg (18).
Mpho Maseta (17) says teenagers can now express themselves more, and there are things they can do that teenagers from 20 years ago couldn’t do.
“Rules changed from 20 years ago and we have more rights. I also think parents are not that strict anymore,” says JJ de Beer (18).
Christian Magwaye (16) has mixed emotions: “on the one side I want to say yes as we are free do to things the way we want to. On the other side, what we do is a lot determined by our friends and the community who shapes us into something we are not really and therefore we are not free.”
Jason Wright (17) says they are free as there were a lot more restrictions in the past and that makes teenagers now more free.
“We are a lot more privilege in the sense that we are free to attend schools in town,” says Paul Mokoele (17).
Paul Vorkel (18) says they are more free as there is more sport to do and technology helps a lot as well.
For Tshimollo Rampo (15) freedom means that he has more opportunities than people 20 years ago had and that he can now get free education.
Ryan Davidson (17) says yes, they have more freedom. “Twenty years ago, there was a restriction on the races and now we can be friends with anybody from any race. I also think our parents are a lot more trusting.”
