Youth must play meaningful role in nation building

AS we commemorate the 1976 students uprising, and how these groups of young students were determined to see a transformed South Africa where the quality of education was high and inequality, poverty and unemployment ceased to exist, I would like us to reflect on this piece of history.

The ideals of this generation were so important to them that they were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the next generation to enjoy the fruits of their struggles.

As we celebrate 20 years of democracy and freedom we must, as young people, begin to ask ourselves questions.

Are we emulating the resilience, courage and determination of the 1976 generation?

Young people have a responsibility to play a meaningful role in nation building and not expect the government to do everything for them.

Do we have young people whose dream it is to create an HIV free society?

Do we have young people who are prepared to fight for the realisation of a gun and drug free society where education and morality is the order of the day?

I believe young people have a critical role to play in ensuring that we eradicate poverty, reduce the high levels of dependency on support grants and create more jobs so that we realise our ideal of a highly developed state.

In my view we need young people who will fight for full access to higher education through free quality education.

We need young people who will understand that our fight will not be won and waged through the barrel of a gun, but the proper formulation and implementation of policy.

The war as I see it will not be won if we don’t focus on eradicating illiteracy in society; nor will it be won if we don’t fight and eradicate corruption and patronage.

This will require young, vibrant and energetic South Africans.

In commemorating the 1976 students uprising we must be mindful of the fact that the 1994 breakthrough, which was a consequence of their struggle, placed a huge responsibility on our shoulders.

In their honour we must reject any attempt to corrupt our young minds to silence us when we see wrong things and we must drive massive campaigns against men who rape and abuse women and children. In their memory we must fight against a trigger happy society.

We must be prepared to get our hands dirty in defence of our country. We must call for a united non-racial society where youth development is not a slogan, but a reality.

XOLANI ZUMA