Youth Day in South Africa

Youth Day on 16 June in South Africa commemorates the start of the Soweto riots of 1976, initially sparked by a government edict that all instruction in black schools would be held in Afrikaans. The iconic picture of Hector Pieterson, a black schoolchild shot by the police, brought home to many people within and outside South Africa the brutalities of the Apartheid regime. The mascot for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zakumi, has his birthday on that day in 1994.

It would be another 15 years before Nelson Mandela was released from prison, but the die was cast on 16 June 1976. The Soweto Uprising was a turning point. It signaled a new-found resolve to fight for freedom.

Today, thanks to the efforts of those young people and many others, we live in a democracy that allows people to choose their political representatives. We have a constitution that guarantees our basic rights and protects us from power abuse.

And yet, despite all this, the struggle for freedom continues.

Too many South Africans continue to suffer because of apartheid’s legacy. Apartheid’s boot left a deep footprint that endures to this day. Until we can combat poverty, none of us can be truly free. We must make progress possible towards a better life for all.

Too many South Africans bear the emotional scars of our history. We must acknowledge the hurt that apartheid caused. We cannot deny or wish away the anger and resentment that persists. We must work to heal the wounds of the past. We must listen to each other. We must try to understand one another.

Overcoming the material and emotional legacy of apartheid is our priority. More than that, it is our struggle. Redress and reconciliation; delivery and diversity. These are the pillars on which we must build the new South Africa. It is the vision of the Rainbow Nation of Nelson Mandela.

Our opponents claim to be Madiba’s heirs, but undermine his legacy. He was the great reconciler; he never used race to divide South Africans. He was the champion of the open society. He was a man of humility and a friend of the poor. It is tragic that those who lay claim to his heritage are now trying to limit media freedom to hide corruption.

For every Julius Malema, there is a Lindiwe Mazibuko. For every Anele Mda there is an Mbali Ntuli. For every Floyd Shivambu there is a Makashule Gana."

Mazibuko is DA spokeswoman, Mda was youth leader for the Congress of the People before returning to the ANC, Ntuli is DA national youth chair and Gana is DA Federal Youth leader.

"So, on this Youth Day, as we pay tribute to the young lions of the past, let us also celebrate a new generation of free-thinking South Africans. They are the young leaders of the future. They will take our struggle forward in the face of adversity, just as others did before them."

In a separate statement, Gana said the youth should make the message of the "unspeakable" and "chaotic" events of 1976 was not lost, by facing challenges and difficulties as leaders and being responsible for the future.

Gana encouraged youths to take inspiration from people around them, and used Black Like Me co-founder Herman Mashaba as an example.

Mashaba developed hair products in a hostile environment and "cold sold" them during difficult times, and kept going, even when the company's manufacturing plant was burnt down.

Youth Day marks June 16, 1976, the day school children marched in Soweto in protest over the apartheid government's language policy and police opened fire on them.

The shootings sparked a series of events that many regard as a turning point towards the eventual dismantling of apartheid.