​Lerato Mailoane
Gauteng acting Premier Tasneem Motara has called on the youth of South Africa to not only receive the benefits of freedom but also shape its meaning.
"Be involved in your communities, organise reading clubs, sports tournaments, coding labs, cleanup campaigns, and social justice movements. Use your voice in local forums and participate in policy-making.
"Demand accountability but also offer solutions, and when the time comes, vote - apathy is not an option, our democracy is not something you inherit, it is something you must protect and build and renew."
Premier Motara spoke at a dynamic Youth Day event on 16 June 2025 at Morris Issacson High School in Soweto to mark the 49th anniversary of the Soweto youth uprisings.
Addressing the gathering, Motara said: "Let us be inspired by the children of 1976, not only what they resisted but what they believed was possible, today… We stand together when injustice threatens the dignity of any one of us.
"This is your moment, your generation must build on the dreams of 1976 and make them real in your time. We challenge you to lead in education, tech, the green economy, the arts, sports, public service, and business. We challenge you to build the South Africa that the youth of the 1976 generation died for.
The Premier did, however, highlight that building a better South Africa is not the job of the youth alone: "It is a shared task, a shared vision, and a shared struggle. Let us work together to build a free and equal nation."
She urged all young people attending the expo to take advantage of the opportunities, as the event aims to expose and connect them with meaningful opportunities across various sectors, including government departments, agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector.
Today, nearly 50 years later, we live in a democratic South Africa, a constitutional democracy born from sacrifice, but the sacrifice of 1994 remains incomplete.
She painted a sad picture where millions of young people in South Africa still wake up to poverty, to overcrowded schools, and unemployment. To communities plagued by substance abuse, gender-based violence and crime.
"Many feel unseen, unheard and uncared for. The painful truth is that while our young people are free politically, too many remain economically shackled and remain excluded from opportunities. Too many dream big but face walls instead of doors."
As government, this is something we don't shy away from and we must confront with honesty and urgency.
"To honour the fallen, remembrance must come with responsibility. It is not enough to lay flowers; we must lay a foundation for a future that honours the legacy of the fallen. We remember the many nameless, faceless youth whose bodies carried the hopes of generations.
"We owe them not silence, not symbolism, but sustained commitment. In Gauteng, we have placed youth empowerment at the centre of our priorities."
To this end, the Gauteng government is expanding access to education, accelerating skills development and growing opportunities for meaningful work through partnerships with the private sector.
"We have launched youth entrepreneurship hubs, supporting township-based innovators and young creatives. We are digitising our libraries and opening access to online training and business development tools. We are investing in the infrastructure that makes opportunities possible, from schools to transport to broadband."
She said the government is also working to align education to the needs of the 21st century, ensuring that every young person has the tools to not only survive but thrive in a digital and global economy.
"We must equally be relentless in addressing the social conditions that stifle potential. We are strengthening partnerships to combat drug and alcohol abuse in our communities.
"Our fight against gender-based violence continues with shelters, hotlines and legal support services for young victims."