The Black Consciousness Movement laid a foundation for psychological freedom and encouraged the dejected masses to lead their liberation. These sentiments permeated throughout the black community and the mutters on the streets were ‘Black man, you are on your own’.

The ideas of Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement influenced pupils across Soweto and resulted in the events of 16 June 1976. The fight was not just against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, but rather against this system that was built to fail them. This fight reflected just how conscious the previously dejected had become. The events of this day rendered apartheid a global pariah, as it saw children throw rocks at soldiers and the youth act against the instruction of their parents who were terrified for their safety.

Fast forward to 47 years later, and the lessons drawn from this brave generation of students are more relevant now than they have ever been in recent history. The youth in South Africa is faced with a myriad of issues that stem from the failure of our leadership to attain socio-economic freedom as well as the never-ending greed synonymous with our ruling elite. We have the highest rates of youth unemployment, gender-based violence, femicide, murder, and rolling blackouts, and this is the reality that the youth is forced to exist in. One of the rights afforded to us by the Constitution and that many comrades died for is the right to vote and elect a leader competent enough to take us to Azania. One of the biggest flaws of the youth in this country is the failure to actively participate in the elections and make their voice heard through the ballot.

We have a youth population that makes up nearly half of the country’s population and yet approximately only 20% of people between 18 and 30 have registered to vote. These statistics are bleak and require our urgent attention. Our dissatisfaction with the status quo needs to be expressed through our votes, come May 2024. The fight on that fateful day in 1976 was against a government that chose to punish people for being black through racism and unbearable living conditions. The fight in 2024 is against a kleptocracy; one that has allowed for so many ills to be entrenched into our country’s DNA. The youth of 1976 are whom we should continuously try to emulate.

 As a generation, we must take it upon ourselves to conscientise one another about the ills that exist in our society. We must continuously remember the stalwarts who laid their lives down for us to be here. We must never forget that we are young, we are plenty, and we have the power to change the trajectory of our lives. 16 June 1976 should remind us that a generation of young people who are organised, conscientised, and fed up with their standard of living can make a dent in history; a dent that can collapse a tyranny. In the past, they had to take their fight to the streets, but we are fortunate enough to take ours to the voting stations and put a mark on our ballots. If that fails, and the votes are not reflective of the country’s need for change, then the fight shall return to the streets and another revolution will begin.