Look to bravery of 1976 youth

Emalahleni mayor s office message

s we commemorate 44 years since the Soweto uprisings, the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976 who fought - and some lost their lives - at the hands of the old regime, we urge the youth of today to take charge as the leaders of tomorrow.

The energy of young people must be utilised to champion development and nurture the future for the generations to come.

Each generation has its challenges.

The challenge facing us now is Covid-19, which requires society to act together.

The coronavirus is a societal problem which necessitates all of us to gather our energy, insight and capabilities to save lives.

If we manage to work together in fighting this virus, history will judge us as the generation which played a vital role to protect our families, communities, the country and the world.

Sadly, those who are trying to save our lives, encounter challenges and people accuse them of acting in an unfair manner.

The unemployment rate, level of education, as well as the availability of skills is disturbing in Emalahleni.

We need to work towards changing this by working together with the youth through all spheres of the municipality, government and beyond.

For us to be judged as the protagonists, we must collectively work towards ensuring that communities are free from crime, gender-based violence and substance abuse.

For us to win the struggle, we must equip ourselves with the required skills to be active participants in the economy.

Let us play our role in local economic development. As young people we must claim our rightful place and participate in agricultural activities, starting on a small scale.

We appreciate and acknowledge the role played by young people who fought for the liberation of the country in the past, whose blood was shed in their march against the apartheid government.

This created an opportunity for many to participate in the armed struggle for the emancipation of us all.

Leaders of the students then, such as Tsietsi Mashishini, led hordes of young people who were gunned down while carrying placards with messages challenging teaching in Afrikaans as the medium of instruction.

Young heroes such as Hastings Ndlovu, who was only 15 years of age, was shot dead alongside 12-year-old Hector Peterson.

Many more young people lost their lives in the fight against inequality.

Young people are full of ideas to change the world for the better. We need those ideas to find space in our Integrated Development Plan.

After Covid-19, we must have young people who will be able to point out their innovation as active participants in economic activities.

We must all be ready to face the new normal so as not to be left out by change.

This may seem unattainable now as we were not expecting our lives to be put on hold.

However, after the pandemic has been controlled, we must be in a better position to inhabit the land of our forefathers with pride.

Let us all play our part in saving lives by adhering to the regulations as the coronavirus is spreading fast in our area, turning new wards and villages into hotspots.

Wash your hands with running water and soap for 20 seconds, wear a mask, maintain social distancing of at least 1.5m and avoid crowded places as much as you can.

Remember, Covid-19 kills. Stop the speed and the pace at which it spreads.

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