Vote, make your voice heard
MANY people this week commemorated the day in 1976 when pupils protested in the streets of Soweto in the response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction at schools.
The Sunday Tribune stepped ahead by 40 years and spoke to young people to find out what they know about apartheid and if they practise their rights as a “born free”.
Shannon Moore, 20, from Durban believes the youth should have a say in what goes on in their country and try to rid themselves of the demons of their past.
“What I know about apartheid is that there was no equality. Before 1994, it was black people being oppressed and white people having power. This means black people were not even allowed to use the same buses as white people.”
Moore has registered to vote and she encourages her fellow South Africans to vote.“Not voting, then complaining is not a productive way to make yourself happy.”
Jessica Mkhize, 20, believes apartheid destroyed the lives of black people and left them with nothing. With emotion, she told the Sunday Tribune that the “rainbow nation” was a fantasy.
“Apartheid messed up our lives. We are not recovering from it. As young black people, we are fighting our brothers and sisters. South Africa does not belong to us. White people still have power over us.”
The marketing student says it is a waste of time to vote as politicians make empty promises.
“My helper’s child was around 11 years old when she was electrocuted to death by exposed live wires. She stays in an informal settlement where people steal electricity. It’s not safe, yet the government prom- ises us better infrastructure all the time.”
Sandile Duma 19, is a matric pupil from Ntuzuma and hopes to study climatology. What he knows about apartheid is that white people oppressed black people, who in retaliation formed the ANC which saw tremendous support from many black people.
“I don’t know a lot about apartheid but from what I hear it affects me a lot. My mother did tell me that my father’s land in the Free State was taken away from him.”
Duma lives in a two-bedroom shack with his older brother, and makes a living through the donations he Jessica Mkhize said a ‘rainbow nation’ was a fantasy. receives for making sand sculptures on uMhlanga beach.
“It is very important that people vote. I have registered to vote and I would like to encourage everyone to vote.” Emilio Chetty, 17, hopes to study civil engineering next Sandile Duma said his father’s land had been taken. year and says he knows South Africa has a disturbing past and there is a long way to go.
“When I read about South African history, I get very emotional. Many people lost their lives in the fight for equality and we still see the scars of it today. I make it my duty to try to make a difference.”
Tristan Shaw, 21, a mechanical engineering student, says it is essential young people vote. “It’s the way to be heard. I have registered because protesting and random outbursts on social media fall on deaf ears. The only way to be heard is through voting.”
Shaw has rarely experi- enced being in the company of those with a racist mentality, but is still aware of the racist ideologies of some people today. He believes that because the youth was brought up post-apartheid, they were not taught to see people of different colour and were taught to accept each other.
Wyatt Michaux, 16, says he has a fair understanding of apartheid and doesn’t believe he has been affected too much.
“I believe if you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to criticise, so I would encourage all South Africans to vote.”
Michaux believes the youth of today are more accepting of each other’s race, although there are many racist youths and their racial ideologies stem from past stereotypes.