Is Youth Day just another holiday?
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising, we asked residnets whether 16 June still carries meaning for our youth?
POLOKWANE – Youth Day in South Africa commemorates the Soweto Uprising of 1976. The day is celebrated on 16 June annually. The day is celebrated to highlight the role the youth played in the liberation of South Africa from the Apartheid regime.
“I feel 16 June lost its meaning and that things have changed. On June 16 1976, I was arrested for violence in school. The system was unfair and we were against the system. The youth of today only care about money to buy alcohol and drugs. They only care about having fun and aren’t doing anything to better their education.”
“The date, 16 June, has meaning to me. I think it’s a special tribute to our brothers and sisters who fought for our freedom. There must be special programmes on national television to explain the point of this public holiday. The president should address the youth about the importance of this day. It is important to educate people about what happened in 1976. The fact that children go to school and people can work and live where they choose is a result of the uprising on 16 June 1976.”
“The day has lost its meaning. They don’t tell us about Youth Day anymore. We just see this day as a normal holiday but we don’t know the meaning behind the celebration. We dress up in our old school uniforms but very few people know why we do it. More needs to be done to educate people about the significance of 16 June.
“The date doesn’t carry much meaning to our young people, maybe because they didn’t experienced the oppression that reigned before democracy. People see 16 June as a day to dress up and party, they forget that none of it would be possible if it weren’t for the people who gave their lives to fight the Apartheid regime on 16 June 1976.
