By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Thabo Mofutsanyana District Youth Development Officer (YDO) Mpiyakhe Tshabalala has urged young people to commemorate Youth Day in a meaningful way instead of turning June 16 into a day of partying.
Tshabalala called on the youth to participate in activities that promote growth, leadership and positive change in their communities.
He said young people should educate themselves about the 1976 Soweto uprising to understand the importance and sacrifice behind the day.
“June 16 is not a wedding or party celebration. It is a painful but important reminder of how young people fought for justice and a better future,” he said.
Tshabalala encouraged today’s youth to remain focused and create initiatives that honour the legacy of the 1976 generation through education, empowerment and community development.
He also appealed to businesspeople and community leaders to invest in programmes that uplift young people.
“We encourage people with resources to support meaningful youth events that will bring positive change. Those contributions will also be remembered for generations,” he said.
Youth Day commemorates the 1976 Soweto uprising, where thousands of students protested against the apartheid government’s decision to enforce Afrikaans as a language of instruction in black schools.
The protest, influenced by the Black Consciousness Movement, led to the deaths of more than 500 students and left many injured.
The image of 12-year-old Hector Pieterson being carried after he was shot became an international symbol of the brutality of apartheid.
