Youth Day is steeped in history, a day of remembrance for the young souls ambushed and slain by apartheid police in Soweto in 1976, protesting the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools.
This year, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) joined the rest of the nation in reflection, using the theme, “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future.”
Despite the strides made in improving the lives of South Africa’s youth, the SAHRC notes that significant hurdles remain.
High unemployment rates, limited access to education, substance abuse, crime, and gender-based violence are all persistent issues plaguing the younger generations.
As a constitutional body tasked with human rights protection, the SAHRC has implemented several initiatives to address these challenges.
To commemorate National Child Protection Week, the Commission conducted visits to Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCS), held dialogues and visited schools in the Western Cape.
These efforts unearthed concerns about gangsterism, lack of family support, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, poor sanitation, child prostitution, gender-based violence, and the abrupt transition to adulthood upon turning 18.
The Commission has consistently made interventions nationwide, most recently in KwaZulu-Natal, advocating for learners who were denied school access due to their religious beliefs.
These learners, members of the Nazareth Baptist Church, also known as the Shembe Church, have now returned to school following the Commission’s intervention.
In addition to this, the Commission will attend a child-led event, organised by Save the Children South Africa, to address children’s rights in the digital environment.
Furthermore, a dialogue on the right to healthcare, themed ‘Youth and Health,’ is set to be hosted by the Mpumalanga Provincial Office on June 22nd.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International SA called on the government to give greater attention to the needs of the nation’s youth, warning of potential upheaval if these urgent concerns are not addressed.
The organisation underscored that Youth Day, commemorated in honour of the brave students who protested the unjust education system, ought to be a poignant reminder of the continuous struggles the youth face, particularly unemployment and poor-quality education.
Despite the watershed uprising in 1976, SA’s youth still grapple with an education system characterised by inequality, thereby hampering their employment prospects.
Rejoyce Makhetha of Amnesty International expressed her belief that the government should afford the youth better opportunities to allow them to contribute effectively to the economy.
READ: ‘1976 was hectic, we were fearless’
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen also added his 2 cents, rallying the youth to act against the ruling ANC government in the forthcoming 2024 elections.
Steenhuisen charged the ANC with falsely claiming the bravery and legacy of the 1976 youth generation as their own.
Yet, he alleges that the ANC’s actions have strangled the dreams of the young citizens, much like the apartheid government did in 1976.
This, he explains, is through an education system that condemns them to poverty and policies that limit their opportunities for employment.
Steenhuisen urged young South Africans to follow in the footsteps of the 1976 youth generation by challenging the current government’s practices.
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