What Bay youngsters think of Youth Day
POLITICAL and other celebrations will be the order of the day today, with an array of events aimed at Nelson Mandela Bay youth in commemoration of the 1976 Soweto student uprisings.
From rallies commemorating the youth’s role in the South African liberation struggle to talks giving hope for the future and a school-themed party, there is something for everyone.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan will join Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Danny Jordaan in a joint event with the municipality at the Soweto-on-Sea multi-purpose centre this morning.
Jordaan, who vowed to prioritise youth development when sworn into office earlier this month, will also be the guest speaker at the ANC regional task team’s (RTT’s) Youth Day rally at the Daku Hall in Kwazakhele.
RTT organising and campaigns subcommittee convener Thobile Mhlahlo said the rally would highlight and celebrate the youth’s role during apartheid, while Jordaan’s keynote address was expected to deliver a message of hope for the future.
“It is our duty to remind the youth of the vital role they played in the struggle and to highlight their role for the future,” he said. “When the mayor came into office, he outlined his priorities and youth development was one of them. I therefore believe that [today] will be a platform for the mayor to directly engage the youth.
“It will be of a celebratory nature as it will celebrate the past and also give hope for the future.”
DA leader Mmusi Maimane, mayoral candidate Athol Trollip, Eastern Cape provincial chairwoman Veliswa Mvenya and DA Youth chairman Yusuf Cassim will hold a rally at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Goldfields Auditorium on the north campus.
Maimane’s spokesman, Mabine Seabe, said it was fitting to hold Youth Day celebrations in the province because of the significant growth the party had enjoyed in the province.
“We have made significant growth here, especially among youth as evidenced by the DA Student Organisation (Daso) taking over the representative councils at NMMU and [the University of] Fort Hare,” he said.
“We are still on the Freedom, Fairness and Opportunity theme, with particular focus on quality education.
“The youth of 1976 got the ball rolling on youth issues. We’ve got an economy that needs adequately qualified and skilled people to drive it and we need good quality education to do that.” On the entertainment front, young people can look forward to a uniform-themed party at Tshisanyama, in Motherwell NU2, from noon. Attendees are encouraged to wear their school uniform or school tie.
Youth Day marks the 39th anniversary of the Soweto student uprisings, where thousands of young people protested against the apartheid government’s enforcement of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction.