My family and I were part of a march that took place on Youth Day in Malvern.
The adults and children wearing their school uniforms were a sight to behold. Although my two-year-old daughter did not really understand what was happening, she loved the atmosphere and was excited to hear them sing.
But the march also made me wonder how many young people actually understand the significance of this day. Is it just a cool day to dress up in uniform to join the march and participate in the activities on the day?
What also struck me was seeing the level of poverty and the dire living conditions in some of the areas we passed through. This left me with another question – will these youngsters break the cycle of poverty?
The youth of 1976 fought against the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in their schools.
Fast forward to 2017. The youth still has to fight for a better education and against poverty and unemployment.
I know many say circumstances should never determine your future, but how do you live beyond what you see? Some will die in poverty. Many will never finish school or make it to varsity because they have to leave school to find work.
Minister of Defence, Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula, recently pleaded with mothers not to allow abuse because of financial gain. How many women are prisoners in abusive situations where they don’t have any other choice? We have freedom but are we free from situations that can kill us?
As we marched, I pictured the youth of 1976 on the streets of Soweto and wondered if this is the future they envisaged for South Africa.
I want to ask you, are we really free or are we still prisoners of our circumstances? How many people will never taste freedom because they live in abject poverty and die in despair?
The official number of deaths on 16 June 1976 is 23, however, other sources say over 200 children died.
We honour the youth of 1976 with some of the names of those who were shot in Soweto on 16 June … Hector Peterson, Melville Leonard Edelstein, Marshall Keokame, Ariel ‘Pro’ Kgongoana, Patrick Themba Lengwathi, David Masinga, David Masuiga, Lesley Hastings and Patrick Petrus Ndlovu.
