Monday 20 June 2011
Youth Dances & Celebrates Achievements But Stresses the Need for Good Quality Education
Sthembiso Sithole
During her piece she quoted Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu when he said “ubuntu is the spirit of togetherness, we must move beyond the spirit of Apartheid. A country without Ubuntu is no country at all.”
Lungile Dlamini thinks the youth disregards its responsibilities and focuses more on rights.
“Our responsibilities coordinate with our rights. We believe we have a right to something and we don’t consider our responsibilities,” Dlamini said
As the crowd went crazy about the music and performance on stage, adjudicators were taking notes of possible winners.
Lily Mokhwesana one of the organisers says she is happy with the 300 people strong attendance rate and hopes to see growth in the coming years. “We are actually saying with this initiative, children must come and learn. We are excited that parents and teachers came out in full force to give support to this day” Mokhwesana explains
Voortrekker Hoogte High School teacher, Anton Lombard, believes such events are a great platform for pupils to express their ideals. “This event is fantastic, I think it is helping the learners from different parts of the country to meet each other,” Lombard said
He also shared his concern on the recent xenophobic violence in Limpopo;
“[Xenophobia] is unnecessary, we need to accept each other and it is creating a bad image for South Africa,” Lombard elaborated.
The Braam Fisher Youth Gospel Choir’s opened the gathering with a song “A leng botseng tshepo yaka” led by Bongani Nkunzi. Dingaan Skosani organiser says the event have positive outcomes “We try to convert their (pupils) talent into a skill, in order for them to reach their full potential”.
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| Traditional Zulu dancing showing the youth hasn't forgotten traditions. |
Young and talented School children gathered at the Constitutional Hill, Johannesburg Thursday to celebrate Youth Day with song, dance and debate on their future and the state of young people in South Africa today. The event was organised by Constitutional Hill in partnership with Tsibogang Lebone Development Initiative.
Matshidiso Mkhatswa from Likazi Central high school was the first to go on stage and shock the crowd with her speech called: “What Ubuntu in peace making and Reconciliation mean to me”.
During her piece she quoted Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu when he said “ubuntu is the spirit of togetherness, we must move beyond the spirit of Apartheid. A country without Ubuntu is no country at all.”
Lungile Dlamini thinks the youth disregards its responsibilities and focuses more on rights.
“Our responsibilities coordinate with our rights. We believe we have a right to something and we don’t consider our responsibilities,” Dlamini said
As the crowd went crazy about the music and performance on stage, adjudicators were taking notes of possible winners.
Lily Mokhwesana one of the organisers says she is happy with the 300 people strong attendance rate and hopes to see growth in the coming years. “We are actually saying with this initiative, children must come and learn. We are excited that parents and teachers came out in full force to give support to this day” Mokhwesana explains
Voortrekker Hoogte High School teacher, Anton Lombard, believes such events are a great platform for pupils to express their ideals. “This event is fantastic, I think it is helping the learners from different parts of the country to meet each other,” Lombard said
He also shared his concern on the recent xenophobic violence in Limpopo;
“[Xenophobia] is unnecessary, we need to accept each other and it is creating a bad image for South Africa,” Lombard elaborated.
The Braam Fisher Youth Gospel Choir’s opened the gathering with a song “A leng botseng tshepo yaka” led by Bongani Nkunzi. Dingaan Skosani organiser says the event have positive outcomes “We try to convert their (pupils) talent into a skill, in order for them to reach their full potential”.
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| Boys Choir starts proceedings. |
On our way to the Constitutional Hill, we met a group of school children who were marching from King David Victory Park, passing the Nelson Mandela Bridge commemorating Equal Basic Education as the standard of education in rural and township schools has come under serious scrutiny in South Africa.
“I think that the youth of South Africa must really, really work together. All races and culture we must come together and fight for what we want and deserve in our new country,” explains one of the marchers Josh Broomberg.
Friday 17 June 2011
Let's School You a Bit About 1976
Sthembiso Sithole
I want to take you back to the memories of the dark days of this beautiful land and give you an overview on the causes of the uprising, what happened proceeding the day and how the government of the time dealt with it. I also believe that while it is important to look back in history we should also think carefully about what the South African youth today thinks about the challenges facing us – some of which are unemployment, HIV/Aids and the lack of understand of how political, financial and business structures can be accessed in order for us to truly prosper. The youth of 1976 was fighting for an adequate education system but the youth of 2011 is also fighting for an adequate education system that will prepare them for the future.
In 1953 the apartheid government of South Africa formalised the Bantu Education Act which would mean black South Africans would get an education inferior to that of white counterparts. There was also a Black Education Department in the Department of Native Affairs. The role of this department was to compile a curriculum that suited the "nature and requirements of black people,” Native Affairs Minister and later to be Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoed is quoted saying.
"Natives [black people] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them," Verwoued once said. Black people were to receive an education that would lead to them serving the white man or going back to homelands – they were not to have an education that would allow them to prosper and be on equal footing with white people.
As a result of black people being forced to learn in Afrikaans they then decided to choose English as a language of choice, the homelands or Bantustans would use English and an indigenous, African language as a preferred language of communication. Realising this, the government used a 1974 decree to reverse the decline of Afrikaans among black Africans. The Afrikaner-dominated government used the clause of the 1909 Constitution that recognized only English and Afrikaans as official languages as pretext to do this. White students would be in a better position as they were learning in their home languages whereas black pupils would learn in Afrikaans.
After fighting with words and conversations all hell broke loose as in the early hours of 16 June 1976 the high school pupils met in the Orlando stadium to protest against what they felt was unfair in the black education system.
Roughly 176 people were killed, the students fought hard using sticks, rocks, bricks, even schoolbags. The peaceful march had turned violent as the police used teargas and fired gun shots at the youth.
Morris Isaacson High school led by Tsietsi Mashini was among those schools which took part in the uprising. The streets of Soweto were full of teargas and smoke that made the township dark.
Fast forward to 2011 the youth is now facing different challenges which I will discuss in my next chapter coming up in a few hours.
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| Iconic photo of Mbuyazi Makhubu carrying the body of Hector Pieterson with the 13-year-old's sister on the side |
Many of us have heard our parents talk about 16 June 1976 which was a turning point in the fight towards a free and democratic South Africa. They often tell us that pupils from five schools in Soweto near Johannesburg walked out of the gates in what was supposed to be a peaceful march as they were fighting for a good, adequate education system. Some of us seem to know the story until this point. We also know of the first boy who died, 13-year-old Hector Pieterson. Much of his story is in the Hector Pietrerson Museum in Soweto. Many young people don’t really know the 1976 story before and beyond these points.
I want to take you back to the memories of the dark days of this beautiful land and give you an overview on the causes of the uprising, what happened proceeding the day and how the government of the time dealt with it. I also believe that while it is important to look back in history we should also think carefully about what the South African youth today thinks about the challenges facing us – some of which are unemployment, HIV/Aids and the lack of understand of how political, financial and business structures can be accessed in order for us to truly prosper. The youth of 1976 was fighting for an adequate education system but the youth of 2011 is also fighting for an adequate education system that will prepare them for the future.
In 1953 the apartheid government of South Africa formalised the Bantu Education Act which would mean black South Africans would get an education inferior to that of white counterparts. There was also a Black Education Department in the Department of Native Affairs. The role of this department was to compile a curriculum that suited the "nature and requirements of black people,” Native Affairs Minister and later to be Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoed is quoted saying.
"Natives [black people] must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans [whites] is not for them," Verwoued once said. Black people were to receive an education that would lead to them serving the white man or going back to homelands – they were not to have an education that would allow them to prosper and be on equal footing with white people.
As a result of black people being forced to learn in Afrikaans they then decided to choose English as a language of choice, the homelands or Bantustans would use English and an indigenous, African language as a preferred language of communication. Realising this, the government used a 1974 decree to reverse the decline of Afrikaans among black Africans. The Afrikaner-dominated government used the clause of the 1909 Constitution that recognized only English and Afrikaans as official languages as pretext to do this. White students would be in a better position as they were learning in their home languages whereas black pupils would learn in Afrikaans.
After fighting with words and conversations all hell broke loose as in the early hours of 16 June 1976 the high school pupils met in the Orlando stadium to protest against what they felt was unfair in the black education system.
Roughly 176 people were killed, the students fought hard using sticks, rocks, bricks, even schoolbags. The peaceful march had turned violent as the police used teargas and fired gun shots at the youth.
Morris Isaacson High school led by Tsietsi Mashini was among those schools which took part in the uprising. The streets of Soweto were full of teargas and smoke that made the township dark.
Fast forward to 2011 the youth is now facing different challenges which I will discuss in my next chapter coming up in a few hours.
Monday 13 June 2011
Young People Ensure Children Have Food & Clothes This Winter
Sthembiso Sithole
Young people who started a group on social network, Facebook, with the help of home care organisation, Thola Ulwazi, and members of the corporate sector have embarked on a campaign to improve the lives of orphaned children in Soshanguve Township.
Over the weekend the group called Difference Makers donated food parcels to orphanages. This was done with the assistance of a local BP service station, Tropika and a police station. Difference Makers founder, Sergeant Mnisi, says they have been visiting home based care centres since 2009.
“We started this group as a non-profitable organisation looking for home based centres where we can come and assist in any way as a way to stand against poverty and feed every child,” explains Mnisi.
On Saturday they were also assisting single parent homes struggling to make ends meet.
Thola Ulwazi Home Based Care and Training was founded by Venile Lekhwane in 1998 at the Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, now called George Mokhari Hospital.
“We worked in the infection control clinic of the hospital, where HIV/AIDS infected people get treatment every Tuesday. We provided patients with spiritual guidance and upliftment, and also gave them food to eat,” says Lekhwame.
Soshanguve is a poor township and many of its residents often struggle to make it to hospital and Lekhwame sights this as her reason for starting Thola Ulwazi.
“The challenges we are facing at present are unemployment, HIV/AIDS and general ill health,” she adds.
Organisers also deiced to honour Gertrude Semono,a woman from the township who dedicates her Fridays to donating vegetables to Thola Ulwazi. For this she received a blanket.
It wasn’t just serious business on the day – there was also a bit of entertainment provided by Gospel musician - Sydney Mathe, Programme Director and iKwekwezi Fm presenter Letty Nyathela Chilli and co-ordinator Paul Kutumela also known as Paul K.
“I co-ordinated this event to make sure that our community is served. We have children who need our help. Every year I co-ordinate such events in Soshanguve and Mpumalanga,” says Kutumela.
Some of those present expressed excitement at the donations. “I am happy that my child was given food and winter clothes today, this means a lot to me and I pray to God to help them to continue blessing mam Venile and Thola Ulwazi” remarks Jonathan Baloyi.
Young people who started a group on social network, Facebook, with the help of home care organisation, Thola Ulwazi, and members of the corporate sector have embarked on a campaign to improve the lives of orphaned children in Soshanguve Township.
Over the weekend the group called Difference Makers donated food parcels to orphanages. This was done with the assistance of a local BP service station, Tropika and a police station. Difference Makers founder, Sergeant Mnisi, says they have been visiting home based care centres since 2009.
“We started this group as a non-profitable organisation looking for home based centres where we can come and assist in any way as a way to stand against poverty and feed every child,” explains Mnisi.
Thola Ulwazi Home Based Care and Training was founded by Venile Lekhwane in 1998 at the Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, now called George Mokhari Hospital.
“We worked in the infection control clinic of the hospital, where HIV/AIDS infected people get treatment every Tuesday. We provided patients with spiritual guidance and upliftment, and also gave them food to eat,” says Lekhwame.
Soshanguve is a poor township and many of its residents often struggle to make it to hospital and Lekhwame sights this as her reason for starting Thola Ulwazi.
“The challenges we are facing at present are unemployment, HIV/AIDS and general ill health,” she adds.
Organisers also deiced to honour Gertrude Semono,a woman from the township who dedicates her Fridays to donating vegetables to Thola Ulwazi. For this she received a blanket.
“I co-ordinated this event to make sure that our community is served. We have children who need our help. Every year I co-ordinate such events in Soshanguve and Mpumalanga,” says Kutumela.
Some of those present expressed excitement at the donations. “I am happy that my child was given food and winter clothes today, this means a lot to me and I pray to God to help them to continue blessing mam Venile and Thola Ulwazi” remarks Jonathan Baloyi.
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Young Sowetan Working Hard to Achieve Ultimate Success
Sthembiso Sithole
While many young South Africans who live in townships sit around and do nothing with their days, a 25-year-old Sowetan, Vusi Makhubo, is showing them that one doesn’t need to come from a wealthy environment to live out their dreams.
Makhubo has taken savings from a small job he does selling clothes at Mr Price to save up for DJing equipment and has also started a T-shirt printing business. He says well known Soweto entertainer, DJ Mbuso encouraged him. “I used to go to Dj Mbuso’s shop and see how he runs his music and t-shirt business, that is how I got my inspiration and I realised that he is one of the black people who is doing his best to make a living out of his abilities.” he says.
Mbuso has also used some of his songs in his compilations and was paid for them.
His brand is called Amayakayaka as that is a slang word Sowetans use when describing people who party too much. He started with just ten t-shirts. “We sold all of them in one day when we launched here at home.”
Makhubo believes that brands that come from South African townships can be popular in South Africa as has been seen with the popularity of Amakip-kip. As I chat to him we get interrupted by a young girl who comes in to ask for cell-phone credit. I then realise that he also runs a small shop from home.
He says it’s also important to diversify as there could be many people with ideas similar to yours. Apart from the shirts he also makes hoodies and hats. Like his mentor, DJ Mbuso, Makhubo promotes music shows around Soweto.
He says he experiences challenges like many other young businessmen but never allows those to deter him. “What keeps me going is the vision that I have for my business and the respect that my family taught me in my childhood.”
He is positive about his brand and says he wants to groom others interested in following in his footsteps.
While many young South Africans who live in townships sit around and do nothing with their days, a 25-year-old Sowetan, Vusi Makhubo, is showing them that one doesn’t need to come from a wealthy environment to live out their dreams.
Makhubo has taken savings from a small job he does selling clothes at Mr Price to save up for DJing equipment and has also started a T-shirt printing business. He says well known Soweto entertainer, DJ Mbuso encouraged him. “I used to go to Dj Mbuso’s shop and see how he runs his music and t-shirt business, that is how I got my inspiration and I realised that he is one of the black people who is doing his best to make a living out of his abilities.” he says.
Mbuso has also used some of his songs in his compilations and was paid for them.
His brand is called Amayakayaka as that is a slang word Sowetans use when describing people who party too much. He started with just ten t-shirts. “We sold all of them in one day when we launched here at home.”
Makhubo believes that brands that come from South African townships can be popular in South Africa as has been seen with the popularity of Amakip-kip. As I chat to him we get interrupted by a young girl who comes in to ask for cell-phone credit. I then realise that he also runs a small shop from home.
He says it’s also important to diversify as there could be many people with ideas similar to yours. Apart from the shirts he also makes hoodies and hats. Like his mentor, DJ Mbuso, Makhubo promotes music shows around Soweto.
He says he experiences challenges like many other young businessmen but never allows those to deter him. “What keeps me going is the vision that I have for my business and the respect that my family taught me in my childhood.”
He is positive about his brand and says he wants to groom others interested in following in his footsteps.
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