Remembering the youth

THIS week finds us celebrating Youth Day and while many may regard it as just another public holiday that provides us with a day off from school, and an extra day for study for those in the midst of exams, Youth Day is more than that, especially when it comes to teenagers.

So let’s take a moment to look back on history of Youth Day and what it means to the youth of this country.

Youth hold protest

It began, on the 16th of June in 1976, when two thousand students across South Africa held a protest against the Afrikaans Medium Decree which made it compulsory for mathematics and other subjects to be taught in Afrikaans, a rule only forcibly applied to black schools.

This, coupled with the restrictions on learning in their own home languages, caused resentment and dissatisfaction to grow among black students of South Africa and prompted their march. Everything was organised and most of the protests went off peacefully but unfortunately this was not the case in Soweto.

In an event that would become known as the Soweto Uprising, police turned their guns on protesting students, which resulted in mass rioting throughout Soweto and by the end of the protest more than 176 people were estimated to have died.

Our legacy

Now you must be wondering why such a tragedy is important to us as the youth of South Africa.?

Well it is simple, it is because this is our legacy.

Being a teenager in South Africa means having responsibility, not only for our own actions, but for the actions of our country.

This year not only marked 20 years of democracy, but also the first election that had born-frees voting.

The Soweto Uprising and the International response it received played a huge role in creating awareness and bringing about the end of apartheid.

It was the action of teenagers, as young as 13, that helped make the world stop and pay attention to Africa.

Teenagers that saw something was wrong and went out to make a difference because they believed in their right to an education and freedom.

Make a difference

This courage and determination, the ability to recognise when something is wrong and take a stand against it, is the legacy of being a teenager in South Africa.

We were given this legacy by the youth that came before us and thus it our duty to live up to that legacy and continue making a difference.

This year many of us got that chance when we voted, but we are not limited to merely casting a vote.

Remember, it only takes one word, one action, one person to make a difference and as a teenager, you have the power to make that difference, so let your voice be heard.