Opinion | Youth must grab the baton

As the country pauses to remember the courage and sacrifice of the young people who took to the streets in 1976, we should also reflect what role the youth of today should play in advancing our hard-won democracy. Without a doubt, the class of 1976 in confronting the most brutal political systems the world has known, fundamentally changed the course of the struggle against apartheid. While many of the young people of 1976 died, and others were forced to flee the country in the aftermath of the police attacks, their brave actions exposed the cruelty of the regime to the international community.

The bravery displayed by those young people was a declaration that oppression would no longer be accepted. While today’s generation should derive immense inspiration from those heroes, inspiration should not be mistaken for imitation. South Africa in 2026 is fundamentally different from South Africa in 1976, and the challenges confronting young people today require different methods, different strategies and different forms of activism.

The generation of 1976 fought to destroy an unjust political system that denied the majority basic human rights. The generation of today has inherited a constitutional democracy founded on equality, freedom and human dignity. While the country faces numerous social and economic crises, it also provides democratic institutions through which citizens can shape their future.

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Unlike the 1976 reality, this reality places a different responsibility on today’s youth. It would be a mistake to romanticise confrontation for its own sake simply because confrontation characterised the struggle against apartheid. The militancy of 1976 emerged because peaceful avenues for change had been systematically closed, with black South Africans left without meaningful political representation, Freedom of expression was severely restricted, and state violence was used to suppress dissent.

They can vote, organise political movements, establish businesses, pursue higher education and challenge government decisions through the courts. The tragedy is that many of these opportunities remain underutilised. South Africa’s greatest enemy today is not legislated racial oppression but the combination of unemployment, poor education, corruption, crime and economic stagnation.

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