Letter: South African youth – Where art thou?

As the nation celebrate youth month may we never forget the young people who fought for freedom equality and democracy.
South African young people faces many different challenges from unemployment poverty crime drugs teenage pregnancy school drop outs and the deplorable state of the education system. I’m reminded about Genesis chapter 3 when God called on Adam,
Where art thou knowing where he was and that he had sinned but he called him to consider the seriousness of his actions and to report to him.
The youth of 1976 went so far to lay down their lives for the freedom we enjoy today and now is the time for the youth of today to save the youth of
todays. Am I my brother keeper when I see him falling in drugs alcohol or
depression.

Let’s gather around our elders the wise eldest especially those who preach peace and harmony and not those who preach hate or racism.
Beside education we have to go back to the foundation like family values,
Sunday school and youth congregations the importance of boy scouts and drummies etc to teach our youngsters morals, values, discipline, character and
most importantly respect not only for others but to respect ourselves abstinence and purity.
Our parents are weeping and crying for our children and youth are involve in immoral activities, as most are captured by the evils of drugs, crime
and alcohol abuse.

How long shall we stand aside and watch many parents have to bury or visit their sons in jail or rehab. Its indeed a fact that government has failed not only failed society but most importantly the youth.

Now it’s the time for the youth to stand up against the corruption, maladministration tender fraud and nepotism in municipalities and government departments nationally. The government is blinded by corruption and our people who can see allows the blind to lead us.

Corruption was at its highest during the period of state capture under the presidency of Jacob Zuma and has remained widespread, negatively “affecting criminal justice, service provision, economic opportunity, social cohesion and political integrity” of South Africa.

Load shedding caused by corruption and its during this period that our people are being terrorised by
criminals who steals cables, robberies and theft, but we as young people
have to get involve in fighting crime in our communities participating in ward
committees, CPFs SGB’s business forums and even clinic committees to hold the leaders or management to account and making sure our people
get the services they need.
The greatest challenges facing South African youth today is the following :
Depression, Sexual Activity, Drug and
Alcohol abuse, poverty and Unemployment, Academic Problems, Peer Pressure and mostly Social Media.

Reports about corruption and mismanagement in government, significant unemployment, violent crime, insufficient infrastructure, and poor government service delivery to impoverished communities; these factors have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Now is the time as leaders of tomorrow to play your part in saving our country our beautiful Mzansi. The word of God is the truth and the truth shall
set us free.