Activism is not dead
We can rise above circumstances and make a difference
S OUTH Africa is a scary place to live right now and it is easy to become despondent, especially as a born free, who was promised the riches of freedom and democracy at birth.
We have a president who threw a birthday party in the midst of thousands calling for his removal from office, a country in junk status and a Cabinet that is not reflective of the will of the people but rather the wishes of a man seeking to protect and enrich those in his pocket.
In the midst of this, we are supposed to celebrate Freedom Day? It seems unlikely. However, I see this Freedom Day as the most important one yet.
We have an opportunity to remind ourselves of the horrors of the past and use those as the foundation to build the attitude of “we, the people, can overcome”.
There are many things to still celebrate and be grateful for. We have our Constitution and our Bill of Rights which are sparkling examples of democracy and equality for the rest of the world.
From these documents, we must draw hope that we are protected and have the privilege of rights that we must uphold and cherish in the face of adversity.
April 7 is also a sign of the ability of South Africans to unite and create a force against the destruction of our beloved democracy.
To those gathering masses who called for Zuma to step down I say, don’t stop there, keep your protest placards and flags for the other times when our country needs you.
Go to the #FeesMustFall protests, engage with issues of service delivery and land claims, protest injustice at every turn because ultimately, President Zuma isn’t the only thing wrong with our country.
People often ask me whether I will vote in the 2019 elections.
Yes. I will vote. Not voting is not an option.
I believe that not voting is disrespectful to those who lived and died for us to be able to put an “X” next to whoever we choose.
Voting
While I understand that people feel unhappy with the choices on the ballot sheet, I urge you to vote for change, if nothing else.
Your vote is your opportunity to use your voice and actively participate in the governing of your home.
April 27, 1994, has always been a somewhat mythical day in my mind.
A day glazed with hope and potential.
I cannot imagine the feeling of pride and triumph that bonded people into queues that seem to me like the DNA of our new South Africa.
The responsibility of ensuring the continuation of this DNA is mostly placed on the shoulders of the youth, who owe it to our history to fight and make a change, especially for those whose lives have not improved drastically since 1994.
I have two things to say to my generation, who I hope will not be complacent and despondent because we have an entitled attitude towards our rights.
First, hold your leaders accountable!
Throw a tantrum in the face of injustice, protest and post (we have the tool of social media to make our voices heard) and make it clear to those in power that we expect better.
Resilience
We might not have been there during the Struggle, but this is our time, and we will hold you to the same standards of the leaders in our history textbooks.
Second, believe. Have faith that we are made of the same material that leaders such as Biko, Sisulu and Hani were created from.
We are also the daughters and sons of this country and we can do it. We can also rise above our circumstances and make a difference.
Have hope and faith that we are capable of the same greatness and sacrifice.
Ultimately we all have the responsibility to “live and strive for freedom”.
We owe it to the thousands who were murdered, who died in detention, who were tortured and who gave up their freedom so that we could stand together, with a myriad of multi-coloured fists raised at those who threaten our precious freedom.