CULTURE

The youth is South Africa’s future. They also hold the power to make that future a bright one. THAPELO MASILELA highlights the importance of Youth Day in South Africa

On 16 June 1976 the police in service of the apartheid government opened fire on students in a brutal reaction to their protests against Afrikaans as the language of education. Many were tragically killed and injured. As a result of the massacre, the new democratically elected South African government declared June 16th as Youth Day – a day on which to remember the horrendous scenes that unfolded nearly five decades ago. A total of 176 lives were lost during the Soweto Uprising. Sadly, however, the number of people killed by the apartheidera government while peacefully protesting injustice is much larger and includes the 69 people lost during the Sharpeville Massacre on 21 March 1960; the 13 people killed during the Mayibuye Uprising on 8 November 1952 and the 35 souls lost during the Langa Massacre on 21 March 1985.

An enduring legacy of the Soweto Uprising is the bravery of the students to stand up for what they believed in. Their willingness to take action changed the reality of the generation that followed them and will do so for many generations to come. They stood and walked as one. Virtues that have not lost relevance or importance 46 years after the fact and might even be more important today than they were all those decades ago.

I cannot speak from personal experience when I discuss events such as the Soweto Uprising, as I wasn’t there. I can only admire how the youth questioned the system and didn’t accept the status quo. However, what I can speak of is the dreamers and creative minds of today that produce ideas ahead of our time. I can speak of the energy and willingness of today’s youth to continue the work started by those that have come before. Youth that created movements such as the #FeesMustFall movement in 2015, where students protested against the increase of tuition fees that made higher education unaffordable, and the #StopRacismAtGirlsHigh movement, which saw school girls protest around the policy on black hair at their schools. These two movements showed the importance of the youth in their refusal to accept things as they are and made a conscience effort to change, regardless of how big or small the challenge was.

Social media is both a positive and a negative force in life today. On the positive side, it has connected people from around the world and enabled them to participate in movements, advocate for causes and hold people accountable. Platforms like Twitter has given youth exposure to things which we ordinarily would not have experienced or even known about. Like many other technologies, social networks have made it easy to communicate across borders, class and race lines. As youth we understand technology and are at an advantage because we can use this to advance ideas, mobilising against injustices and mobilise for great causes. As youth we should use these platforms to make sure our voice is heard. On the negative side, social media has changed the perception of what success is. Even worse, on social media it seems success can be achieved overnight, and instant gratification can be achieved, well, instantly. For many, social media portrays a lifestyle which is unaffordable and unsustainable, causing some people to live beyond their means in an attempt to replicate what they have seen. Whether social media inspires you to do great things or pushes you into depression, is really a question of the quality and strength of your personality. The same water that hardens the eggs softens the potato.

The youth in South Africa must take a step forward and become more politically conscious. We need to be more aware and informed. The criticism which we give should be constructive and insightful and help to overcome the many challenges which the country faces both in the state and in the African National Congress. The youth played an instrumental role in the success of the ANC. More importantly, we have an equal if not greater role to play in taking the country to the next level and realising its potential. Change can only be achieved by fundamental virtues which make the very difficult doable. If we are to take the country forward, it is imperative for the youth to put these virtues into practice. Virtues such as patience, persistence, discipline, foresight and – one that I struggle with personally – bravery. To take the next step, all of these need to be the anchor of all our efforts if any greatness is to be achieved.

The most difficult part of the journey is the journey itself. We need to be prepared to do the same thing over and over again without seeing results, but having faith in the process. Another big obstacle we need to conquer is the fear of feeling unsure. We will never know everything, and if we think that we do, we are in the wrong room.

When it comes to uncertainty, few words give greater comfort that those of Maya Angelou, who said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”