National Youth Day is marked annually on 16 June in celebration of today’s youngsters and tomorrow’s leaders.
The date is of great importance as it commemorates the Soweto Uprising on this date in 1976, in which thousands of school pupils demonstrated against being taught in Afrikaans, a language they didn’t know. This was seen as yet another deliberate measure in the apartheid regime’s Bantu-education onslaught against African future prospects.
Several generations later, DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette took to the streets to learn how young people today understand the struggle for democratic and human rights, and the importance of actively tackling societal challenges – aspects that form a significant part of the nation’s history. The newspaper was also keen to see how young people intended to celebrate this day dedicated exclusively to them.
Die vriende RYAN VAN DER WALT en THEAN HARDING is bewus van die opofferings wat herdenk word, maar het beplan om hul opofferings wat hulle die afgelope skoolkwartaal gemaak het met ’n welverdiende ruskans in die lig van Jeugdag te vier. Dié 18-jariges het hul wense vir meer openbare vakansiedae ter viering van die jeug bekendgemaak. “Ons koester die kosbare oomblikke wat Jeugdag inhou, soos om tyd saam met jou vriende deur te bring,” het Thean gesê. Ryan het egter beplan om met sy jeugmaats by die kerk te herenig ter viering van Jeugdag.Foto’s: Jamey Gordon
LISA NTYWELE (29) said she knew Youth Day is commemorated annually, on 16 June, for the sacrifices made by youth who protested against educational inequalities, and which claimed the life of young schoolboy Hector Pieterson. She expressed the general feeling among her peers being that it is not exciting be a youngster in South Africa in today’s society. “While the struggles are not the same as in 1976 we are still struggling, a battle of a different kind in a different time. Ntywele also voiced her concern about youngsters of today not having young leaders to look up to, as role-models. “We have leaders who are mostly aged and we cannot relate to.”
LEANDRÉ LE GRANGE (19) het geen idee gehad wat Jeugdag beteken nie en het gesê dit hou nie spesiale betekenis vir haar in nie. “Dis net nog ’n dag,” het Leandré gesê. Sy het verder gesê sy die sou dag in ’n feestelike atmosfeer by die Root44-mark, waar sy werk en op Jeugdag aan diens sal wees, deurbring.
