Jun 2014

Youth take centre stage

Written by Albert Pule

Youth matters

South Africa will commemorate Youth Day on 16 June, marking the 38th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprising.

On 16 June 1976 more than 20 000 pupils from Soweto began a protest march for better education.

In the wake of clashes with the police and the violence that followed during the next few weeks, approximately 700 hundred people, many of them youths, were killed and property destroyed. One of those killed on 16 June was Hector Pieterson.

The 2014 Youth Day commemorations take place at a time when the country celebrates 20 Years of Freedom.

This year’s event will take place in Kimberley, Northern Cape, where President Jacob Zuma is expected to address the crowd.

Key issues expected to be highlighted on the day include the role of young people in the struggle for freedom, challenges facing the youth, how to overcome these, government programmes for youth development and how the youth can access these.

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