Dialogue reflects on sacrifices made by youth of the past, and promise of youth of today
At a dialogue to mark the end of youth month the question was posed: ‘What does freedom mean to South Africa’s ‘born free’ generation?', and learned minds tried to answer it.
To mark the end of youth month on June 26, the Nelson Mandela Foundation hosted a dialogue: Born Free but Still Bound: Redefining Freedom for South African Youth, and posed the question: ‘What does freedom mean to South Africa’s ‘born free’ generation?’
The panelists were the foundation’s board chairperson Dr Naledi Pandor, digital activist Amahle-Imvelo Jaxa, University of Johannesburg (UJ) College of Business and Economics lecturer Marievonne Daya, and life coach Vukosi Mashele.
The foundation’s co-ordinator for dialogue and advocacy, Nomahlozi Ramohloki, started off by explaining that the foundation was an important space, rooted in memory and in an ongoing struggle for justice and equity to reflect, challenge, and reimagine.
Read more: Youth asked: ‘What does freedom mean to South Africa’s ‘born free’ generation?
Daya then took over, saying: “As we reflect on the 31 years of democracy, we need to ask ourselves, what does freedom truly mean to youth in Diepsloot, Tembisa, Mitchells Plain, or Mthatha today?
“Freedom cannot be measured by just the fall of apartheid alone. It must be felt in our everyday lives. Through access to education, meaningful employment, safety, and dignity.”
Daya added that youth day reminded us of the power the youth of 1976 had, challenging injustices and shaping society. “It also is a call to continue the struggle that they started for equal education, economic inclusion, safety, and dignity for all South African youth.”
Giving a speech titled: Lessons from my father’s cell, was Jaca, who is the daughter of Sotomela Ndukwana, a former ANC member and Robben Island detainee sentenced to 10 years in 1976 for recruiting students to the ANC’s military programme.
The first lesson the digital activist learnt was that freedom without dignity is not freedom. She explained that her father believed that being legally free, but not economically free, was no better than being in chains. “That’s the painful irony of us as this ‘born free’ generation. Yes, we are free to vote, but how many of us are registered to vote when the time comes? Yes, we are free to speak our minds, but who listens when unemployment is almost at 45%?”
She further questioned how we were free when gender-based violence and femicide (GBV+F) continued to be a shadow that followed us home, and when trust in political leadership was at an all-time low.
Jaca noted that many of us, young, brilliant but disillusioned, were tuning out instead of rising, and this was not apathy, but exhaustion. “We are tired of carrying the hope on our backs while those in power carry corruption on theirs. We are a generation that is expected to thrive with no tools, told to ‘hustle’ our way out of systemic failure.”
The second lesson she learnt was that the youth are the architects of every revolution, noting that, from Soweto in 1976, to fees must fall, to the young organisers who fed communities during lockdown, our history was not short of youthful courage. What the youth lacked was power and support.
“We are structurally being disempowered, shut out of policy making, underfunded, tokenised, and, most times, ignored. Nelson Mandela once said: ‘With such youth, we can be sure that the ideals we celebrate today will never be extinguished’, and yet there is only smoke where there was once a flame.”
The good news is that the ideals are not extinguished, they are in exile, waiting for a generation brave enough to relight the match.
She added that she believed the current generation could do it, but belief must be backed by action. “It’s time to stop waiting to be included in broken systems, and to start building better ones. So, when I was asked to be on this panel, and the question was: ‘What does freedom mean to today’s youth in South Africa and has democratic transition delivered its promise for young people?’, I think the simple answer is no.
“Freedom is hollow if you have no job, it is hollow if your school does not prepare you for adulthood, because there are no resources to educate, and if you fear walking at night.”
Pandor concluded by saying that June 1955 and 1976 were epic moments in the historic struggle of the people of South Africa against apartheid. “June 1955 was the adoption of the Freedom Charter, and in 1976, the young people of South Africa rose in protest.”
She explained that the societal problems described by various analysts were largely poverty, poor quality education, and the absence of diverse skills offerings in post-school education. “Young people need to probe further and argue in public through organisations. Our youth has the potential to take up these challenges, and, I believe, can resolve them.”
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We’d love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts!
