On June 16, the Democratic Alliance (DA) commemorated those who died in the 1976 student uprising by placing wreaths at the tomb of Japie Vilankulu, the first Alex uprising victim.
On June 18, 1976, Jappie Vilankulu, a 23-year-old, was shot and killed by apartheid police.
During the commemoration, which was held at the Old Alexandra Cemetery where Vilankulu was laid to rest, DA leader John Steenhuisen, DA Gauteng Provincial leader Solly Msimanga, and DA Youth interim federal leader Nicholas Nyati addressed the youth on the issue of rising unemployment.
Nyati addressed the impact caused by unemployment on the youth. He narrated a story of a young man who committed suicide live on TikTok due to failure to provide for his family. “When a young person doesn’t have a job, they don’t have dignity. Young graduates are stripped off their dignity as they are forced to stand at traffic intersections with their qualifications and ask for jobs.”
Msimanga said, “This June 16, we are honouring the life of Japie Vilankulu, who devoted his life to making sure South African youth gets to experience a life better than the one they had.”
At the gravesite wreaths were laid at Vilankulu’s tombstone. His family was led by his younger brother, Micheal Vilankulu, who urged the youth to stop drinking alcohol on this day.
Vasco Da Gama, the Speaker of the City of Joburg, was also present during the ceremony. “We have started a fund in the name of Japie Vilankulu. There’s a committee set up to receive the funds and make sure those funds are used positively to educate children in the schools throughout Alexandra.”
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