In normal occasions I would write on this day commemorating the spirit of the fearless youth of Soweto in 1976. It would also be normal on this day to push a blackness agenda which will directly reflect the brutal history of Black folks in this country and encourage the forward movement of Black liberation. Either way, the history remains unerasable. The fact is that this is a story of a group of young high school learners who grew conscious of a state that subjugated and exploitered them because of their skin colour.
However, Youth Day of 2024 is not a normal occasion. It is rather a sad reality yet to confront a lot of young black people, mostly in universities and high schools. This reality will probably settle in the longer term when there’s a realisation that Black emancipation and liberation was retarded. I write post the 29 May National and Provincial elections and what has shaped my thoughts is what the entire country has witnessed leading up to June 14 and the Government of National Unity (GNU) negotiations which in fact turned out to be grand coalition negotiations.
There’s no need to retaliate what is found on the pages of history about 16 June 1976. I do however wish to retaliate what we as the South African electorate have written in the pages of history to be read by the offspring of our generation.
The ‘normal’ life of Tintswalo has undeniably changed since 1994 and that is result of a liberation movement. Tintswalo was indeed born in an underfunded short-staffed hospital and raised by parents who tirelessly worked for her better life while they got crumbs from the bread they make. She was groomed by an education system which is under resourced and taught imperialist colonialized education. She got funded by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in university but only to die of hunger and college debt. Perhaps now Tintswalo is at home and a graduate but unemployed because she either lacks experience or has a qualification that is not in ‘demand’, but she got it from our very own education system.
We young black folks have headed to the polls together with our mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers and have made our bed. The only difference I find on the bed we yielded from the polls of 2024 is that this one has no outright ownership of power but definitely no way different from the one made in 1994. Perhaps this one will be more comfortable or the rusty spike springs will penetrate through the soft polyfoam to hurt us all.
On this youth day the youth remain voiceless with no solid representation in decision making structures and leadership. I wonder who’s going to do that for us if not us? A majority of us black students suffer from an race inferiority complex which we have inherited either through images of our blackness representation, or inherited from the private white schools which gave us a better life and an advantage.
It is really not my place to dictate whether the youth should celebrate this day or not, but if we celebrate it let it have meaning. Let it honour the innocent young souls massacred mercilessly in the streets of Soweto in broad daylight. Let our actions show that we’re grateful and yes, we do wish to continue the liberation. Let’s at least put some dignity on the sacrifices of those young minds who saw beyond. The generation of today must ask themselves, who are we and how different are we from the youth that gave us education?
From me, I’d like to unveil the new face design of this platform which is ready to hear your voice. A platform in which you get to write and talk freely on as a youth collectively. A platform which embraces no content but possess a painted canvas of content from the young voices. A platform that helps you think beyond. A platform that embraces who you are and what you stand for. Welcome to the new face of MediaHouse150 and Happy Youth Day to the youth that deserves to celebrate this day, I do not include myself in this count.
-MediaHouse150
