‘There's really no such thing as the “voiceless”. There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.’
― Arundhati Roy

A mere 47 years ago, an approximate hour away from our University of Pretoria, thousands of peacefully protesting black students were met with open fire, tear gas, and bloodshed as they non-violently pursued protest against Afrikaans as the medium of instruction for education. A sobering reminder of the brutally oppressive Apartheid regime, Youth Day is South Africa’s due and just commemoration of the Soweto Youth Uprising of 1976.

Youth Day evokes a multitude of responses. For most, it is an all-encompassing acknowledgment of a historic and fearless pursuit of fundamental educational rights led by school-aged children, a chilling recollection of apartheid’s denial of humanity-enshrined rights, a reminder of the force of the youth, and an annual call on each person in South Africa to reflect on their contribution towards dismantling the on-going, systemic remnants of a deeply discriminatory history. 

On the precipice of a young democracy, the youth present as a noteworthy and particularly intersectional demographic of South Africa.  As of 2023, 44,2% of the South African population is between the ages of 0 to 24 years old.[1] 

As with every Youth Day, we are faced with a dual call: firstly, for better integration and validation of youth voices when affecting societal change; and secondly, the collective duty to ensure that we do not continue to perpetuate a society in which the youth are left to ‘sink or swim’ due to unattended historical prejudices.

Inadequate access to basic health and sanitation, under-resourced schools, unemployment, discrimination premised on race, sexuality, disability, gender, etc., and violence continue to be pervasive in the South African youth context.

The ills and injustices of society cannot be squarely placed on a singular populous; concerted and diverse empowerment ought to proportionally be divided. One cannot solve youth-centric issues without adequate and equitable youth representation in relevant spheres. Despite this, the youth continuously present as persons whose rights and existence are seen as passive—as the property of institutions and authority figures.

The arc of a moral and ideal universe will not bend towards justice by itself. 

From a child law perspective, it is proposed that the best interest of the youth ought to be achieved through the recognition of their valid autonomy with due appreciation towards their input, protest, expression, and unbridled actualisation. 

Each Youth Day, it becomes pertinent, as we reflect on empowering our youth, to reject lenses of paternalism and akin, which, at best, arguably serve as guises for controlling the behaviour of children/youth to manageable or predictable palatability. Without this rejection and transformative approach towards youth empowerment, children and young adults will continue to be denied their liberties and status as independent, maturing beings in society.

As part of commemorating Youth Day, it remains paramount that we remain attentive and critical in our personal, private, and professional spheres to actively participate in cultivating transformative and intentional reform toward youth upliftment wherever possible.

[1] https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-south-africa