THE month of June is colloquially known as Youth month, thanks to the 16 June 1976 uprising in Soweto when students protested against Bantu education and were subsequently killed by Apartheid state police. The 16th of June is now forever etched into South African calendars as youth month. We asked the youth of today what this day means to them.
Zamaqwabe Gumede. 19. “How I understand June 16, it was a day when students got together and fought for education because the youth back then were being taught in Afrikaans and they wanted equality. They fought for it and were killed for it, of course one of the most famous victims of that day was Hector Pieterson. To be honest I have never celebrated youth day besides wearing our school uniforms and posting on social media.”
Thembekile Masango, 20. “For me, June 16 is a day where we celebrate, remember and pay tribute to the youth who lost their lives fighting for better and equal education for all. It is also a way of reminding the youth that they have the power of changing their circumstances and that with unity a lot can be achieved. I usually celebrate this day by attending local youth talent shows. This year I will be home quarantining and washing my hands.”
Thobani Dlamini, 23. “Personally, youth day is a constant reminder that youth activism is one of the most important political tools in the history of humankind. It also tells us about the significant part the youth had to play in order to end the systematic alienation of black students during the apartheid regime. For me, that’s important because the fight still goes on today, the fight for a fair non-racialized education system that works for everyone in society. That is what the 1976 uprising meant to me but importantly as well, it is a painful reminder of what anti-aparthied activists had to endure in the fight for a democratic South Africa.”
Nwabiso Dlamini, 22. “June 16 represents for me, a new dawn borne from the ending of oppression in the education system in 1976. Youth day means for me that I have a choice to study at any tertiary institution, should it be overseas or within the borders of South Africa. Since we are on national lockdown and mass gathering is prohibited, I am going to commemorate this day by watching documentaries online, to remind myself of the importance of this day and the role youth played in the destruction of apartheid laws.”
Nosipho Bhengu, 22. “Youth day to be means honouring and remembering the sacrifices that the youth of 1976 went through in order for us to be free and have the ability to say whatever we feel and voice our opinions freely. Due to the national lockdown, this year I will just be in the house doing my university assignments and being a good youth person.”
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