Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
19 June 2023 | 15:08 CAT

SOWETO – SOUTH AFRICA, JUNE 16: On 16 June 1976 high-school students in Soweto, South Africa, protested for better education. Police fired teargas and live bullets into the marching crowd killing innocent people and ignited what is known as “The Soweto Uprising”, the bloodiest episode of riots between police and protesters since the 1960’s. (Photo by Bongani Mnguni/City Press/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

According to Amnesty International South Africa, if the government wants to avoid another uprising like 1976, it needs to pay attention to the needs of the youth who are feeling unheard, desperate and sad.

Expanding on the dire warning, Amnesty International South Africa Activism Coordinator: Rejoice Makhetha said the bright and prosperous future created after the 1994 elections is all gone as young people face the harsh reality of low-quality education and high youth unemployment.

The latest unemployment statistics, published last month, showed that 36.1% of 15 to 24-year-olds need to be in employment, education or training. The report also shows that the higher the level of education, the lower the chance of unemployment.

Amnesty International reported that if the government wants young people to participate in the economy – to contribute to the country’s future – it needs to ensure that every child, no matter their background, is given a quality basic education and a chance at the opportunities an education can bring.

“It has been 47 years since the youth stood up against a system designed to deny them quality education in 1976, and still many face the issue of an unequal education system. Which is still plagued by apartheid,” says Makhetha.

Listen to the full interview on Radio Islam’s podcast.