For Youth Day we asked first-year journalism students from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to write for us.
Here's what Misha Samuels had to say:
On June 16 we remember those who fought for us. The ones who died for us.
We commemorate the deaths of over 500 students who died in protests against colonisation of their minds.
On this day, Tsietsi Mashinini led the protest against the injustice the apartheid government implemented. The Bantu Education Act called for the reprogramming of the African mind. It meant forgetting who they were and where they came from.
We are fortunate today to have a choice regarding what language we want to be taught in. The exploration of our cultures and our home language is encouraged as it provides a sense of belonging and adds to our individuality and diversity. The South Africa of 2019 is the South Africa many of our predecessors longed for.
As a young person in South Africa the challenge that many of my peers face is the “brainwashing” of the youth. Many entities, such as political parties and various movements, actively target the youth to spread their message. These groups are taking advantage of the fact that we are young and susceptible to new information and ideas. Many do not realise that they are being manipulated.
The youth of today is inspired by what was done for us in 1976. We are inspired to take action against the injustices we face today and we would not have been able to do it without the sacrifices made on June 16, 1976.
* Speak up like the youth of ‘76 by tweeting your opinions and challenges to the new @GovernmentZA's Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities: Minister Maite Emily Nkoana-Mashabane using #speakup76 @IOL or write to IOL at iolletters@inl.co.za