The spirit of SA's 1976 Soweto youth uprising lives on in today’s generation

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 16: Young people participate in a march to commemorate Youth Day in Soweto Township on June 16, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976, when students gathered on the streets of Soweto to protest against Afrikaans being the language of instruction used in schools. The protest turned violent, resulting in the deaths of students and hundreds others in the riots that followed across South Africa. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

By Lerato Mutsila

16 Jun 2024

The specific issues they have to tackle may differ quite substantially, but make no mistake, the young people of South Africa still want to fight injustice on many levels and ensure an equitable society for all who live in it.

The date 16 June 1976 will forever be etched into the memory of South Africa. Though I was not there to witness it myself, I remember my parents, part of the uprising generation, describe it as the day that the roads of Soweto reverberated with the footsteps of thousands of brave young students who had had enough of the oppressive apartheid regime and took to the streets in opposition to an unfair educational system and the government’s plans to impose Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in black schools.

That bravery and peaceful defiance were met with tear gas, bullets and bloodshed, sparking a nationwide uprising against the apartheid regime. What happened on 16 June and in the days that followed forever altered the course of the struggle against apartheid and cemented that generation as change agents in South Africa’s sociopolitical landscape.

Forty-eight years later, the pressure to live up to the legacy of the young people of 1976 has only grown. We young people have been inundated with messages that the youth of today pale in comparison to the youth of 1976, who laid their lives on the line to fight for what they believed. We are told that democracy has made us apathetic and that we have no interest in the political and socioeconomic issues plaguing the country.

Protesters during the June 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Rapport archives)

Students protesting during the June 1976 Soweto uprising in South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images / Rapport archives)

It is hard not to buy into that narrative, not to look at myself and think maybe they are right, maybe freedom has made me soft and I have nothing to offer a nation still fraught with inequality and injustice.

But a look at what my peers have achieved in the past 10 years quickly reminds me that reality could not be further from those assumptions.

I need not look further than the snaking lines at voting stations across the country on 29 May, when young people like myself gave up their public holiday and refused to leave until the wee hours of the morning to vote in the landmark election.

A conversation I had with a young voter waiting at a voting station near the University of Pretoria stuck with me. Wrapped in the South African flag, Katleho Twala said: “I’m not going to leave the queue before I vote, and I don’t see anybody else leaving the queue either. We are here for change.”

Enoch Sitole from Soweto looks at the famous photograph taken by Sam Nzima of Hector Pieterson at the memorial site in Soweto on Youth Day, 16 June 2002, South Africa. (Photo: Gallo Images)

This sentiment, mirrored in lines across the country, is not one of an apathetic youth.

In the build-up to the election, a group of young students created an app, Yoh Vote, which allowed users to “date” a political party to see which one they aligned with the most. No one told them to do it; they merely took the initiative.

This is not an example of young people who are uninterested in South Africa’s political playing field.

Who can forget #FeesMustFall and #RhodesMustFall, when scores of students took to the streets and spearheaded the call for the removal of oppressive colonial symbols and equitable access to education for all who live in South Africa?

This does not reflect a youth indifferent to the socioeconomic issues of the nation.

Almost five decades may have passed since the Soweto uprising, but we still have change agents living among today’s youth. The nature of holding truth to power may have evolved from what it was in 1976, but one thing is certain: if pushed, young South Africans will enter the playing field and fight for a just and inclusive society that benefits all who live in it, like the generation who came before.

This 16 June, as we take the commemorative walk down memory lane, Youth Day should be about more than honouring the lives of 12-year-old Hector Zolile Pieterson, 17-year-old Hastings Ndlovu and eight-year-old Lily Mithi, who joined the rest of the Soweto uprising generation and became martyrs for the struggle for dignity and freedom. It should be a call to action.

Apartheid may have ended, and the nature of our struggles may have changed, but the work of the youth is far from over. We are inundated with daunting challenges, from high youth unemployment and economic inequality to unending social injustices. These issues are only made worse by the remnants of apartheid’s socioeconomic disparities and the sluggish pace of transformative policies.

Reflecting on the issues, I am haunted by the question of what role I can play to help to address these problems. I do not take to the streets; I pick up my pen (or, realistically, my laptop) and use words to hold truth to power.

Many young people in the country are doing the same. In whichever corner of the country we find ourselves, we are carrying on the legacy of the Soweto Uprising, innovating, debating, protesting and even entering the political arena to continue the fight for a just and equitable South Africa.

Young people participate in a march to commemorate Youth Day in Soweto on 16 June 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

This is what we are fighting for:

Economic empowerment: By championing entrepreneurship, innovation and skills development, young people can drive economic growth and reduce unemployment.

Social justice: Fighting inequality and discrimination remains imperative. Young people are using their voices to campaign for equitable education, healthcare and housing, ensuring that democracy’s promises are realised for all citizens.

Political engagement: Active participation in the political process is essential. The youth can influence policies that shape their future by voting, running for office and holding leaders accountable. Civic engagement and grassroots activism are powerful tools for systemic change.

Environmental advocacy: With the growing threat of climate change, young South Africans can take charge of environmental protection and sustainable practices. By promoting green initiatives and sustainable living, they can help to secure a liveable planet for future generations.

June 16 is not just a date on the calendar or a day of remembrance. It is a living, breathing testament to the power of youth activism. Through resilience, innovation and unwavering commitment to social justice, today’s young people honour the past while forging a brighter future. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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