College News

A MESSAGE FROM MR MCLUCKIE

Youth Day and the Lessons of the Past

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, a watershed moment in South African history. On the 16th of June 1976, approximately 10,000 students marched in protest against the government’s decision to enforce Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. What began as a peaceful demonstration was met with violence when the police fired live ammunition into the crowd. Last week the Grade 10 History students took a tour of Soweto and were able to experience this history first hand. Our first stop was Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was signed in 1955. Standing in the conical brick and glass tower that houses the ‘Flame of Freedom’, each student had the opportunity to read one of the statutes of the charter. The messages of these decrees remain as applicable today as ever.

The church was referred to as the ‘People’s Parliament’ as it provided a base for people to discuss social and political issues. Upon entering the Regina Mundi church, we were all struck by the magnitude of its history. The walls were still adorned with bullet holes from when the police opened fire upon a gathering of young people. By some miracle no one was killed. A statue of Jesus had its one hand shot off and as a sign of the fight for equality the church removed the other one. Elderly parishioners with walking sticks welcomed us, only too happy to share their history with us. The students got the opportunity to sign the walls, cementing their place in the church’s history.

Our next stop was Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world home to two Nobel Peace Prize laureates. 8115 Vilakazi Street — Nelson Mandela’s address. The house holds many authentic items: a wall erected in the dining room to protect the family from police driveby shootings, the dining room table the family sat at and ate dinner together. Hidden in the corner of one of the rooms, away from all windows, rested the bed Winnie Mandela slept in after Mandela was arrested.

The bus followed the route through Orlando West made by the students on the 16th of June. It was on this path that a new generation of young people was created. It was a generation that understood that the future of the country rested in their hands. Fifty years later, that message remains as relevant as ever. Real and lasting change can only occur when young people become active participants in shaping their society. Every young South African has a responsibility to contribute towards building the country we all want to live in.

The legacy of the Soweto Uprising serves as a powerful reminder that bringing about meaningful change rests in the hands of the youth. The courage shown by the students of 1976 remains a lasting symbol of hope, resilience and the struggle for freedom.

Mr Gareth McLuckie