Marking 50 years since the Soweto uprising of 16 June 1976, this year's Youth Day commemorations coincide with other major milestones of independence, underscoring that South Africa's democracy was built on generations.
“In addition to the 50th anniversary of the Soweto uprising, we also celebrate 70 years of the Women's March of 1956 and 30 years of the adoption of our democratic Constitution in 1996. Together, these milestones remind us that freedom is built on generations,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
The youth of 1976 fought against the boycott; Today, South Africa faces unemployment, poverty and inequality – something the President compared to the broader struggle against the oppressive apartheid regime, with all generations playing a role in the fight for freedom.
“Their struggle was to get into the classroom. Our struggle is to make sure that what starts in the classroom doesn't end up in the unemployment line.
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“Just as they rejected the limitations placed on them, we must also reject a future with fewer possibilities. Let us build a South Africa where every young person can realize his or her potential.
The President said, “Let us build a South Africa in which freedom lives on in every generation. So let us honor him not just with words, but with deeds.”
President Ramaphosa reminded South Africans that these milestones of independence were achieved by women who protested against laws that were passed, by youth who rose up against Bantu education, and by a Constitution that reflects the views and aspirations of all South Africans.
The President said, “The youth of 1976 remind us that freedom is not preserved by memory alone. It is preserved by active citizenship, organization, discipline, service and responsibility. As we look to the future, young people must be at the center of democratic participation.”
Challenging young people about their role in today's democracy, President Ramaphosa asked if they have the courage to change South Africa.
The President said, “The youth of 1976 answered that question. On June 16 the children of Soweto walked out of their classrooms and walked into history. They were told they could not learn in their own language, in their own country, on equal terms. They refused that limitation. And many of them paid the price of that refusal with their lives.”
He emphasized that the youth of 1976 did not stand alone.
They were supported by parents, teachers, health workers, religious leaders and community structures.
“The youth of 1976 were not the last generation to organize for change. We remember young freedom fighters like Solomon Mahlangu, the Craddock Four and Nokuthula Simelane, and the youth and student formations that helped bring apartheid out of control.
The President said, “In the democratic era, the same spirit continued through the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall movements. Because of these generations of struggle, South Africa has been fundamentally changed.”
The 1996 Constitution guarantees the right to basic education.
President Ramaphosa said, “Through legislation such as the South African Schools Act and the Higher Education Act, we dismantled the legal architecture of apartheid education and began building a system based on equity, access and redress.”
He said that today's generation has tools which the youth of 1976 did not have.
“They have the technology, information and platforms that can connect communities, expose injustices and build enterprises. Technology must be matched with purpose, organization and commitment to the common good.
“As the country prepares for the next local government elections, we must put young people at the center of the building of municipalities,” the President said.
He encouraged youth to register to vote, vote, engage with municipalities and hold public representatives accountable.
“Democracy does not just happen in parliament and council chambers. It is also created in schools, on campuses, in workplaces, in churches, on playgrounds, in community halls, on the streets and in homes.
President Ramaphosa said, “Let us honor the youth of 1976 not only by remembering their courage, but by continuing the work for which they sacrificed so much. Let us build a South Africa in which freedom lives on in every generation.”
He said the youth of South Africa's population gives the country dynamism, innovation and potential productivity that few other countries outside the continent can match.
The president said, “This generation must take its place in every part of our national life: in the economy, in public institutions, in communities, in innovation, in culture, and in the work of building our democracy.”