Young people, politicians and other South Africans continue to flock to the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto to lay wreaths in commemoration of the June 16, 1976 Student Uprising.
On that day, 12-year-old Hector Pieterson was killed when police opened fire on a group of students protesting the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in their schools.
Among the political leaders visiting the memorial site today are ActionSA president, Herman Mashaba, and Rise Mzansi leader, Songezo Zibi.
Youth at the memorial bemoaned the lack of job opportunities available to them:
“The government must provide jobs for youth. We need to get beyond tokenism as a means of youth inclusion. Young people need to be represented around the table where decisions are made. Two out of three young people are unemployed,” says one.
“We need to continue to be inspired by those who came before us,” adds another.
Youth Day 2024 | Gauteng commemorates 1976 Soweto student uprising
