Youth Dances & Celebrates Achievements But Stresses the Need for Good Quality Education

Sthembiso Sithole

Traditional Zulu dancing showing the youth
hasn't forgotten traditions.

Young and talented School children gathered at the Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg Thursday to celebrate Youth Day with song, dance and debate on their future and the state of young people in South Africa today. The event was organised by Constitutional Hill in partnership with Tsibogang Lebone Development Initiative.

Matshidiso Mkhatswa from Likazi Central high school was the first to go on stage and shock the crowd with her speech called: “What Ubuntu in peace making and Reconciliation mean to me”.

During her piece she quoted Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu when he said “ubuntu is the spirit of togetherness, we must move beyond the spirit of Apartheid. A country without Ubuntu is no country at all.”

Photos of Youth Day Celebrations in Constitution Hill, Johannesburg

Interesting BBC Programme on Lagos' Version of Venice

Let's School You a Bit About 1976

Sthembiso Sithole

Iconic photo of Mbuyazi Makhubu carrying the body
of Hector Pieterson with the 13-year-old's sister on the side

Many of us have heard our parents talk about 16 June 1976 which was a turning point in the fight towards a free and democratic South Africa. They often tell us that pupils from five schools in Soweto near Johannesburg walked out of the gates in what was supposed to be a peaceful march as they were fighting for a good, adequate education system. Some of us seem to know the story until this point. We also know of the first boy who died, 13-year-old Hector Pieterson. Much of his story is in the Hector Pietrerson Museum in Soweto. Many young people don’t really know the 1976 story before and beyond these points.

I want to take you back to the memories of the dark days of this beautiful land and give you an overview on the causes of the uprising, what happened proceeding the day and how the government of the time dealt with it. I also believe that while it is important to look back in history we should also think carefully about what the South African youth today thinks about the challenges facing us – some of which are unemployment, HIV/Aids and the lack of understand of how political, financial and business structures can be accessed in order for us to truly prosper. The youth of 1976 was fighting for an adequate education system but the youth of 2011 is also fighting for an adequate education system that will prepare them for the future.

Young People Ensure Children Have Food & Clothes This Winter

Sthembiso Sithole

Young people who started a group on social network, Facebook, with the help of home care organisation, Thola Ulwazi, and members of the corporate sector have embarked on a campaign to improve the lives of orphaned children in Soshanguve Township.

Over the weekend the group called Difference Makers donated food parcels to orphanages. This was done with the assistance of a local BP service station, Tropika and a police station. Difference Makers founder, Sergeant Mnisi, says they have been visiting home based care centres since 2009.

Young Sowetan Working Hard to Achieve Ultimate Success

Sthembiso Sithole

While many young South Africans who live in townships sit around and do nothing with their days, a 25-year-old Sowetan, Vusi Makhubo, is showing them that one doesn’t need to come from a wealthy environment to live out their dreams.

Makhubo has taken savings from a small job he does selling clothes at Mr Price to save up for DJing equipment and has also started a T-shirt printing business. He says well known Soweto entertainer, DJ Mbuso encouraged him. “I used to go to Dj Mbuso’s shop and see how he runs his music and t-shirt business, that is how I got my inspiration and I realised that he is one of the black people who is doing his best to make a living out of his abilities.” he says.

Poet's perseverence for Change

At the closing dinner of the School of Authentic Journalism 2011, scholars and professors were privileged to have had dinner with the great poet, Javier Sicilia.

His son is one of thousands of innocent victims of Mexico's drug-related organised crime. Sicilia lead a silent protest for the fight for justice against the drug violence in May.

This video, by Dateline, peaks into the well organised movement lead by Sicilia where many of the community joined in on the march.