Produced by TYI
by Musa Ndlangamandla
As South Africa marks the 42nd anniversary of the 1976 Soweto student uprisings the spotlight returns on the condition of today’s youth and their counterparts of the time.
Whilst so much has changed in the country since the 1994 Mandela Miracle which ushered in a new democratic dispensation, it can be said that like their peers of the 1976 era, the ‘born free’ generation continues to be in the coal face of socio-economic challenges facing South Africa.
Like their counterparts of 1976, the rainbow youth is challenged to led change, disrupt the status quo – albeit under a set of different circumstances and rules of engagement.
Among the more pronounced threads that bind these two generations of young people can be found in the sphere of education. On the one hand, the 1976 Soweto student uprisings tragically ended with hundreds of young people killed by the apartheid government when they protested the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. On the other hand, today’s youth is equally vibrant and exhibits fearless activism for universal access to quality education and transformation of the national curriculum to future-proof their livelihoods.
Photo by: Musa Ndlangamandla
Just like the youth of 1976, today’s youth is refusing to accept societal barriers that confine them to the ‘kraals’ created by the establishment. Their impatience with the ‘layer’ of elders and adults hovering above their heads and the latter’s apparent tolerance of prevailing bureaucracies has seen today’s young people take the demand for change to the streets. It is instructive that it was also in the streets that 42 years ago the youth took the fight for better societies.
The ‘Fees Must Fall’ marches led by vibrant youth across the country and disruptions in tertiary institutions perceived to take a snail’s pace approach to transformation shows the parallels between the youth of the two generations. Both generations demonstrated a burning desire to push the boundaries, ask the uncomfortable questions and not sacrifice at the altar of preserving peace, the need for real, meaningful transformation.
Though young people today were born in a place and a time where there are laws against racial discrimination, against homophobia and against xenophobia, among many maladies, they are confronted by these issues daily.
Whilst technological advancement has undoubtedly improved the lives of millions of South Africans compared to the apartheid-era, today’s youth continue to face unprecedented levels of unemployment and unemployability.
Grim statistics show that South Africa has a population of about 11 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. Of that number, 33% are no longer in school, have never been employed, and have not received any vocational training. That is unacceptable, and it is upon policy leaders, business leaders, and civil society leaders in the country to ensure that lasting solutions are found to enable young South Africans to be actively involved, and energetically participate and engage in society and the entire economy.
It is by unleashing youth power that our democracy and the gains of freedom can truly translate into the condition of real and robust radical social and economic transformation.
In conclusion, while the youth of 1976 fought with their lives for freedom and the creation of a democratic state, today’s youth activism should be strengthened as it tackles poverty, inequality and unemployment. It is heartening to note that the clear majority of South Africa’s youth are not passive but are champions of their own development as active members of society.
