By BAKANG MOKOTO
16 June 2025- The Deputy President, Paul Mashatile said today they honour and pay tribute to the valiant and fearless young people who stood at the forefront of the liberation struggle on 16 June 1976. Mashatile who delivered a keynote address at NWU REC Farm stadium in Potchefstroom said, regardless of their youthful stature, the youth of 1976 stood strong in the face of the oppressive system of the apartheid regime.
He further said they faced death with unwavering determination, fuelled by a vision of equal rights and a more just society. Mashatile added that, as former president, Dr Nelson Mandela recounted in his address on Youth Day on June 16, 1996, “When freedom beckoned, you faced death and bullets and did not flinch. You responded to the call to build the underground and the mass democratic movement.
“You swelled the ranks of the people’s army and acquitted yourselves with distinction on the battlefield.”
“It has been 49 years since that significant day, yet we will always remember the student leaders like Tsietsi Mashinini and Hastings Ndlovu who orchestrated the mass demonstration that transformed our nation.
“We must never forget those who joined the long list of martyrs and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. These are the young brave souls who fought for a dream that they never saw come to life, a dream that continues to inspire and guide us,” he said.
Mashatile said by taking action in 1976 against an enforced Afrikaans language as the exclusive medium of instruction in African schools, those young learners were carrying out the path of struggle defined by their forefathers through the Freedom Charter.
He said ten days from now, they will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
“The adoption of the Freedom Charter on June 26, 1955, and the Soweto Uprising on June 16, 1976, are significant milestones in South Africa’s journey towards freedom. Both occurring under unique circumstances but inspired by the shared vision of a free and equal South Africa for all.
“The Freedom Charter continues to be a pillar of South Africa’s Constitution, influencing the political and social climate of the country. It demands that, “The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall Be Opened,” said Mashatile.
He said this clause signifying the Charter’s commitment to equality and access to education for all South Africans. Mashatile said in this regard, this year’s theme, “Skills for a Changing World—Embracing Youth for Meaningful Economic Participation,” is more relevant to the noble cause for which the generation of 1976 and those who came before them were prepared to lay down their lives.
“It embodies the essence of what we aim to achieve together – a future where our youth are not just empowered, but actively engaged in shaping a better tomorrow.
“The reality is that many young people in South Africa are not living the future they hoped for.
They are confronted by high levels of unemployment, inequality and a lack of access to opportunities, especially in the digital world,” he said.
Mashatile said, as a government, they acknowledge that, for these young people, their reality remains untenable, undesirable, and unsustainable. He said according to Stats SA, young people between the ages of 15 and 34 make up just over half of South Africa’s working-age population, about 20.9 million people.
“However, far too many of them can’t find work, especially those between the ages of 15 and 24. Currently, South Africa’s unemployment rate has gone up to 32.9%, and if we include people who have given up looking for work, the rate jumps to 43.1%.
“The latest data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that more than half of young people aged between 18 and 34 are unemployed. This is one of the highest levels we have ever seen, and it is of grave concern,” said Mashatile.
The Guardian 