People question whether enough has been done for the youth
On this day in 1976, the Soweto Uprising took place which saw thousands of students join a protest against the Bantu Education laws.
A voter casts his vote at the Rosebank Junior School in Cape Town on 29 May 2024. Picture: Skhu Nkomphela/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - As the country marks Youth Day some young people are questioning whether enough is being done for them.
On this day in 1976, the Soweto Uprising took place which saw thousands of students join a protest against the Bantu Education laws.
The then government announced the implementation of the Afrikaans Medium Decree, which meant Afrikaans would be a compulsory medium of instruction at schools.
But 48 years on, young people say their struggle continues.
One of the main issues for young people today is employment.
In the first quarter of this year, the country's official unemployment rate stood at 32.9% and according to Stats SA, the youth unemployment rate currently sitting at 45.5%.
Eyewitness News spoke to a few young people.
Many say the challenges they face today are similar to those faced by their predecessors.
Thendo Ntshimbolimbo said that government keeps making empty promises about jobs for the youth.
“Numbers don’t lie this is a reality in our country, however, the government continues to promise and even more so continues to fail on their promises”
Bokang Motlhatlhedi a university student has echoed Ntshimbolimbo’s sentiments.
“Let’s say you’re the first graduate in your family, and then you have all these huge financial burdens, but you can’t even get a job because jobs require you to have all this experience.”
Meanwhile, community groups and some NGOs across the country are hoping to help young people become economically independent.
These include Uzwelo Youth Development, GirlCode and youth@work which are all focused on upskilling young people across the country.