Passing the baton

It is a rare opportunity to have in one room, dynamic young leaders discussing pertinent global issues. This was the opportunity presented by the Youth Day celebration on June 16 2011. An immaculate mansion with grandeur and elegance- the home of Mr. Ibrahim Rasool - was the meeting place for the ‘imbizo’.

In the middle of the spacious room is an overbearing wooden table. We stream in to take our seats, carefully assessing the view that each position offers. I take my seat in the second row, pleased with the Ambassador’s view to my right and his distinguished guests.

The Ambassador welcomes us to his ‘modest’ home, introducing the delegated from the South African Embassy and the organizations and universities represented.

The protocol is tedious, but necessary. It is during these lengthy introductions time that I reflect once more the significance of this day.

June 16 1976 is a day that marks a long-standing struggle against an oppressive and discriminatory apartheid regime which used education as a tool to further marginalize the African masses. Scores of black students have felt the hands of Bantu education strangle their opportunities of ‘meaningful’ future employment and higher education. Bantu education was introduced by the National Party in 1954, to cater for black students separate educational needs. However, this was clearly a false mandate of the National Party as black schools were poorly equipped, with no science laboratories or sports fields, and often no library.

As frustrating as this inferior education system was, it was the introduction of Afrikaans as a compulsory medium of instruction in 1976 that ‘blew the cap off’. The rationale is said to be that Afrikaner conservatives “felt that black school children were becoming too assertive and "forcing them to learn in Afrikaans would be a useful form of discipline".”

Tensions over Afrikaans brewed in the following months, and on that fateful day 15000 students gathered in Vilakazi Street in Soweto marching towards a barricaded wall of policemen. Despite warnings from the police, the students did not disperse, instead continued marching headstrong forwards…forwards…phambili.

Similar marches occurred throughout South Africa that year. 575 people dead, 451 at the hands of police. 3 907 injured, with the police responsible for 2 389 of them. 5 980 people were arrested.

We ought to remember the youth of South Africa during those years, not only those who bore the cold, teargas and bullets on July 16th 1976. It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I am obligated to act towards the injustices still evident in the education system today.

The residue of Bantu education lingers. In 1976, the government spent R644 on each white child, whereas each black child was allocated a mere R42. In 2011, the education system remains segregated, not between racial lines. Well, at least not explicitly. But there is a strong correlation between being black and economically-disadvantaged in South Africa, and therefore receiving the short-end of the stick.

And so the question that remains is ‘Who’s responsibility is it anyways?’ We’ve seen much finger-pointing from politicians since 1994 of the two-tiered structure of the current education system; the “haves” and the “have-not’s”.

It is indisputable that:

1. Education is necessary to achieve a higher standard of living in the future.

2. The government has a pivotal role to play

I am deep in thought, wrapping my head around the relevance and importance of June 16, that I hear South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Mr. Marius Fransman quote that “there are 7 million youth in South Africa. 3, 1 million of which are unemployable”. This is disheartening. It is overwhelming because it indicates that the cyclical effects of unemployment will follow.

Mr. Fransman concludes his speech by reiterating Mahatma Gandhi’s words – which we ought to be the change we want to see. I sigh knowingly, that the baton has been passed from the ‘old generation’ to ours.

I have not answered the contentious question as to whose responsibility it is to solve our social and economic issues. But I take courage in the tenacity and determination of the youth in 1976 who instead of looking for an answer to come from political leaders, they took it upon themselves to revolt against an oppressive government. We ought to do the same.

“We all drink from wells we did not dig, we profit from persons we did not know.” Deuteronomy 6:10-12

http://www.info.gov.za/speech/DynamicAction?pageid=461&sid=19209&tid=35361