Local youth to parade in honour of ’76 class

The National Youth Coalition South Africa (NYC) held a press conference at the YCMA Hall, Orlando East on May 31.

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The aim was to brief residents, particular young people about their plans for the celebration of this year’s Youth Day.

The conference was conducted to remember and carry forward the legacy of the youth of 1976 who organised and planned the protest action at the time.

YCMA Hall was chosen as their venue because it was in those hallways that the youth of 1976 convened to determine the actions that would lead to the Soweto Uprising, which caught national and global attention.

The NYC started as a form of commemoration for the 46th anniversary of the Soweto Uprisings in June 2022 and it was commemorated through the Youth Day Parade for Justice and Change.

Over 2000 young people marched from the Loftus Versveld Stadium to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum to the Presidency – which is yet to respond over a year later.

The conference featured six speakers from different organisations who gave their message of support for the NYC, representing over 100 different organisations, movements and groups.

Speakers reinforced the need for collective action in dealing with the country’s crises and to continue building a platform for young people to organise and work in solidarity to achieve common objectives.

The press conference was led by Irfaan Mangera from the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) who serves as the current interim chairperson of the NYC.

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He was joined by Silindile Clifton Nzimande from Africa Unite, Tebogo Motlana from the Youth Indaba, Tiny Lebelo from Equal Education, Marcus Van Wyk, from YCMA South Africa, and Dorothy Mabelebele from Women in Need Organisation.

In his opening address, Mangera said, “The AKF’s Youth Activism Programme had been working with communities for four years when it got the call from young people that they need a platform to build solidarity and activism at a much deeper level. The NYC was formed as a result of this call.”

He added that this call was made to deal with the crisis that South Africa faces including, the multiplicity of crisis from unemployment, gender based violence, poverty, inequality, climate change and so as young people they found themselves asking how they can make their voices heard.

Tebogo Motlana from the Youth Indaba called on young people to take lessons from the previous generations such as the United Democratic Front, who more than 40 years ago embarked on a similar programme of action, to unite a broad range of South Africans in pursuit of freedom and democracy.

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“The NYC draws lesson from the past but aims to honour that legacy by actively engaging in shaping the kind of society we want to live in and cement the role of youth as the drivers of change.

“It is important for the youth to be gathered in one space and as a collective come up with inputs because this movement is for the youth, formed by the youth and influenced by the youth on the direction it wishes to take,” Motlana said.

He added that the Coalition has seven working groups of which organisations and individuals are encouraged to join.

One of the key campaigns the coalition through its partners aims to carry out is tackle the declining participation of youth in democratic processes, including participating in elections.

The coalition also aims to work with other organisations, movements, business and all stakeholders in society to register over a million young people to vote.

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The NYC will lead the Youth Day Parade for Justice and Change which will be held in Tshwane on June 16.

Young people are preparing to attend and participate in the parade and festival that will commence at Burgers Park and end at the Union Buildings Park.

A programme featuring artists, activists and civil society organisations will commence after the parade.

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