Why is Youth Day celebrated in South Africa?
Youth Day in South Africa is a day to honour the courage and sacrifice of the Soweto Uprising youth. As well as a day to celebrate all young people. This year marks the 46th year anniversary of the uprising.
What was the Soweto Uprising?
The Soweto uprising was a series of demonstrations and protests led by school children in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976.
Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto. The protests were in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests. Thereafter, they were met with fierce police brutality and many were shot and killed. However, following the advent of democracy in 1994, the new democratic government declared 16 June as National Youth Day and June as the Youth Month. The declaration honours the contribution of the youth in the struggle for the liberation of South Africa.
What does Youth Day in 2022 call for?
The 2022 call to action is to continue to encourage the youth and media to follow Youth Month conversations and stay engaged in all platforms, where the messages are communicated.
What is the 2022 Youth Day theme?
The Youth Day theme for 2022 is: “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow.”
Why is Youth Day 2022 important to Octopus Electronics?
We caught up with our Office Administrator, Lené Nel, on why Youth Day is important to us. This is what she had to say, “On the 16th of June we remember the youth whose actions laid the foundation for the future that we would like to build, not only for the youth of today, but also for generations to come.”
