Programme Director: George Tonyane
Executive Mayor of ZFM: Cllr Abram Vosloo
Municipal Mayor of Tsantsabane: Cllr Elroy Phete
Councillors of Tsantsabane Municipality
Provincial Manager of the NYDA: Mr. Lebogang Moremedi
Distinguished guests
Community members of postdene and surrounding areas
Molweni, good afternoon, goeie middag, dumelang
Programme Director, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends, on behalf of the Provincial Government of the Northern Cape, I would like to thank you for the invitation to deliver this very important Memorial lecture on Youth Month.
This year we celebrate the 40 years since the youth uprisings in 1976 and 60 years of the women’s march to the Union Building. In this country, June is the month of the youth. It is the month in which the youth of this country changed the course of history in that fateful protest against apartheid education on June 16, 1976.
As we gather here tonight to celebrate Youth Month, I am reminded of the words of the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Anan, when he remarked, “You are never too young to lead and you should never doubt your capacity to triumph where others have not.”
It is precisely because young people took the baton and did not consider themselves too young or inexperienced that through their heroic actions on June 16 1976, we could overcome the dehumanizing forces of the cruel, obnoxious and racist apartheid military rule and as a result our country was able to take the turning point in the opposition to white minority rule in South Africa.
Everywhere in the country the protests spread like wildfire. The courage and determination displayed by the youth then still serves as an example and a guide of what can be achieved if we stand together for a greater common purpose.
That day ended tragically with hundreds of young people being brutally killed. This tragedy became a rallying point that inspired a nation and a people to rise up against the brutal apartheid system.
The generation of 1976 changed the course of history by standing up and leading the struggle to equal education. More than 20 000 students marched against the use of Afrikaans as medium of instruction on that dark day of 16 June 1976. Hundreds lost their lives and thousands more were injured.
As many of you will recall; one of the first who was shot by the brutal apartheid regime was the young 13 year old Hector Peterson.
We must therefore use this month of June to salute our fallen heroes and heroines who bravely took to the streets and made the ultimate sacrifice for all that we have today. We must share this reach history of youth struggles and sacrifices that led to the ultimate defeat of the apartheid regime.
We must salute the generation of 1976 and all other generations of youth leaders who successfully mobilized against the white minority apartheid regime.
The history that young learners receive in schools must be filled with the great stories of Peter Mokaba , Tsietsi Mashinini , Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and Ashley Kriel. This is the history of our country that must be taught to all.
I think many and if not all of us might have heard of Peter Mokaba but do we really know who he was and what he has done for our beloved country.
In actual fact the biography of Peter Mokaba should be well known to all South Africans. However, it has become increasingly clear that we need to actively ensure that our history is passed from one generation to another so that our collective memory of our liberation struggle is not lost. Just in case some of you do not know the story of Peter Mokaba and his place in South African history, I want to spend some time exploring this.
On the 09th June we commemorated the passing of the former SAYCO and ANCYL President , comrade Peter Mokaba. It is often said that people are immortalised by death , what an irony , because death itself should be the ultimate proof that we are all fallible. For this reason when we do speak of the departed , we do so with seriousness that is supreme compared to when they are still alive .
The first President of the ANC Youth League, Anton Lembede made his clarion call for young people to occupy the foremost trenches in the battle for freedom of our people and said: “We are not called to peace, comfort and enjoyment, but to hard work, struggle and sweat. We need young men and women of high moral stamina and integrity: of courage and vision. In short, we need warriors. This means that we have to develop a new type of youth of stoical discipline, trained to endure suffering and difficulties. It is only this type of youth that will achieve the national liberation of African people”
Peter Mokaba spared neither strength, nor effort to advance the cause of liberation and heeded this call. He cut his teeth in liberation politics in the 1970s, as a learner at Hwiti High School in Mankweng. Like many student and youth activists of that era, his political activism was further ignited by the 1976 Student Uprisings. Indeed, the legacy of June 16 1976 inspired thousands of youth to become active in youth formations and fight for freedom.
He is often remembered by his political enemies for the chanting of the slogan “Kill the Boer , Kill the Farmer “ This slogan became even more popular after the assassination of Comrade Chris Hani. Whatever his political enemies made of him , we as young people will remember him as our leader , that was fearless and stood for our interests no matter what the odds were.
We know that this slogan has been interlinked with other revolutionary songs that are perceived to have carried racist messages. One cannot help but to point out to the “ayesab’ amagwala” song, opportunistically popularised as “Dubul’ iBhunu”. To Peter Mokaba, songs and slogans help rally and call on the masses to action. The political messages was carried in songs and slogans. What you sing and recite you will never forget.
Peter Mokaba is both a role model and an icon for us all today, but especially for the youth. His willingness to sacrifice his own comfort for his people, the principles and values he espoused, his amazing courage even in the face of death, should continue to inspire us today.
I would like to issue an invitation to all youth present here to emulate the values and principles of Peter Mokaba and take up the socio-economic challenges we face in our communities today. Today we face different challenges to those faced by Peter Mokaba in the 1970 and 80s.
But these challenges also require the youth of South Africa to step forward and confront them. It is nothing less than the future of our Nation we are talking about. And as you seek solutions to our challenges, do not lose sight of the example provided by youth like Peter Mokaba in the past. The values they espoused and the role they played should serve as your inspiration and guide.
Young people as we you are seated here today, you must become the pioneers in ensuring that education becomes a common good available to all youth and not a private luxury. You must declare war on illiteracy. Young people must be able to read and write proficiently.
We cannot accept a situation where the youth in Postmasburg cannot read and write. Young people must Read to Lead. We must end the illiteracy amongst the youth.
Youth Development is a priority for our Province therefore we have established the National Youth Development Agency to assist young South Africans. However much more needs to be done to ensure that youth development is mainstreamed into society. Youth Development is an apex priority in a developmental state.
Youth unemployment remains the most pressing matter facing the young people of today. As young South Africans we need jobs more than any other necessity. As provincial government we are aware that there is a high rate of unemployment and young people are struggling to access employment.
We have received complaints that the local mines are not contributing to the IDP in terms of their Social Labour Plans to communities. This is a matter which in the Northern Cape Provincial Government and the Tsantsabane Municipality will engage with the respective mines in the area and the Department of Mineral Resources.
Young Lions and Lionesses, Nyoape, Tik, Drugs and alcohol abuse is “frying the brains“ of the youth of Postmasburg.
The devastating consequences of substance abuse has the potential to undermine the gains which our new dispensation has made possible.
As the young people of Postmasburg we must embark on a serious fight against Alcohol and Drugs in our communities. Substance abuse is the leading cause of crime and contributes to poverty, dysfunctional families and communities, the burden of disease, injury and premature death. It is escalating chronic diseases such as AIDS and related health factors , injury and premature death.
It does not require rocket science to notice the extent at which the abuse of drugs, alcohol and substances negatively impacts on the struggle to politically and economically emancipate the black majority and Africans in particular in our construction of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and united South Africa.
The abuse of these intoxicating substances and alcohol in particular does not only negatively impact the well-being of the individuals consuming them, but distorts society and leads to other grave social ills such as crime, rapid spread of HIV/AIDS, poor health, low success rates in education, sports, work, etc
Young people who persistently abuse substances often experience an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the juvenile justice system.
The abuse of alcohol and other drugs by youth may result in family crises and jeopardize many aspects of family life, sometimes resulting in family dysfunction.
The social and economic costs related to youth substance abuse are high.
They result from the financial losses and distress suffered by alcohol- and drug-related crime victims, increased burdens for the support of adolescents and young adults who are not able to become self-supporting, and greater demands for medical and other treatment services for these youth.
There is also an undeniable link between substance abuse and delinquency. Arrest, adjudication, and intervention by the juvenile justice system are eventual consequences for many youth engaged in alcohol and other drug use.
Substance abuse is associated with both violent and income-generating crimes by youth. This increases fear among community residents and the demand for juvenile and criminal justice services, thus increasing the burden on these resources.
Gangs, drug trafficking, prostitution, and growing numbers of youth homicides are among the social and criminal justice problems often linked to adolescent substance abuse.
We therefore need to join hands and fight the scourge of substance abuse in the communities of Postmasburg. We cannot allow drugs to fry the brains of our youth.
Last week in Upington, the ANC Led Government, continued with its journey to ensure that the empowerment of young people is in done consultation with them in the form of the Youth Summit. Resolutions were taken at the summit on how we are going to improve the lives of the young people of the Northern Cape.
Key to these resolutions a declaration was made that Government will create space, opportunity and support to enable young people to access quality education and skills development programmes which will enhance employability of young people to become employable and or create opportunities for self-employment.
Young people can lead the charge to break down the barriers that divide us. South Africans are socially diverse, yet are united by their love for our country and our flag. We must do more to break down the artificial barriers of culture, race or religion that still divide us. This generation must continue to work towards a society free from racial, social, economic and class barriers. We must maximise the things we have in common rather than to focus on that which divides us.
Before I conclude I would like to share a very inspirational passage which I read recently.
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.
He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach; it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives.
They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified.
He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed- Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today.
But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust, If you plant goodness, you will reap friends If you plant humility, you will reap greatness If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant faith in God, you will reap a harvest.
Honesty and hard work pays off, despite that fact that you might not be seeing immediate success. Honesty is the best policy, and of course , behind every successful man is a woman……..
June is dedicated to the youth of South Africa. It is time for reflection , celebration and action. Let us reflect on our dark past, celebrate our achievements and put hope into action.
I thank you
