June 16

Today, June 16th is Youth Day in South Africa.

It was a tragic day on 16 June 1976 when thousands of schoolchildren as young as 8 protested in the streets of Soweto against the then government's policy of teaching children in Afrikaans, what was then the language of the Apartheid oppressors.

The government's response to this peaceful protest was live ammunition, killing and injuring hundreds of children.

Every year on this day South Africans mourn the loss of innocent life, but more importantly, we recognise that this moment in our history was the begginning of the end of Apartheid.

It is a testament to the power that a collective group can have against injustice and inequality. It is also a testament to the fact that young people can bring about the change they want to see in their societies.

Today South African youth face more giant problems; economic inequality, high unemployment rates, limited access to good quality education and tertiary studies.

But June 16th is a proof that anything is possible through moral courage, conviction and mobilisation. So it is important that this day be commemorated, not just for those who died on that day.