SOUTH AFRICA: South African youths get first hand look at the country's historical struggle for racial equality

Record ID: 455973

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: South African youths get first hand look at the country's historical struggle for racial equality
  • Date: 21st June 2011
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PICTURES OUTSIDE THE APARTHEID MUSEUM EXTERIOR OF THE APARTHEID MUSEUM STUDENTS ARRIVING INTERIOR OF THE APARTHEID MUSEUM VARIOUS PICTURES TOUR GUIDE EXPLAINING TO THE STUDENTS AND STUDENTS LISTENING VARIOUS OF PHOTOGRAPHS STUDENTS LOOKING AT A PICTURE AND DISCUSSING MORE OF PICTURES MORE OF STUDENTS LOOKING AT PICTURES PICTURE OF NAKED MEN WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE AIR MORE OF STUDENTS LOOKING AT PICTURES OF STRUGGLE ICONS NOOSES DANGLING FROM THE CEILING BAR AREA SEPARATING WHITES FROM BLACKS MORE OF STUDENTS LOOKING AT PICTURES AND DISCUSSING MORE OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT ORNAMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SIMON MOLEFE, NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (NYDA) CHAIR PERSON, SAYING: "Today's tour is to be able to teach young people where we come from, and why it's important that we must have a non-racial country, and why it's important that our background must be able to unify blacks and whites, because if you can't accept your past, you can't deal with your future." SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE HECTOR PETERSON MEMORIAL MORE OF STUDENTS AT THE HECTOR PETERSON MEMORIAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) TLHOKA TOPOLLO, STUDENT, SAYING: "It's a privilege because opportunities that in the olden days were for white people, today as a black child I can get access anytime because there's democracy and there fairness, equality around the whole country." MORE OF STUDENTS AT THE MEMORIAL SITE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KWARONA KOLE, STUDENT, SAYING: "I've learnt how the people in the past fought for our democracy and freedom so that we can have a better life and there's opportunities we have today." KLIPTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2011) (REUTERS) STUDENTS AT THE WALTER SISULU SQUARE CLOSE UP OF THE FREEDOM CHARTER MORE OF STUDENTS LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2011) (REUTERS) STREET SCENE IN SOWETO
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa, South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: History,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3AVY84WPGF9E5YOHZTB3PZVFK
  • Story Text: The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) took 250 young people on an educational tour of its dubious past and struggles to overcome apartheid in Johannesburg on Friday (June 17).
    June marks a watershed moment in the history of South Africa: on June 25, 1955 the Freedom Charter was signed and in the same month in 1976, the youth of Soweto took to the streets to protest against the apartheid government.
    Simon Molefe, NYDA chairman, said the idea of the tour was to teach young people about the country's legacy to help them be better equipped to deal with the future.
    "Today's tour is to be able to teach young people where we come from, and why it's important that we must have a non-racial country, and why it's important that our background must be able to unify blacks and whites, because if you can't accept your past, you can't deal with your future", Molefe said.
    The generation of young people born after 1994 are known as the "Born Frees" with organisers hoping those taking part in the tour will be able to walk away with an understanding and an appreciation of what it took to achieve democracy.
    One student, Tlhoka Topollo, said he appreciates the opportunities he has been given.
    "It's a privilege because opportunities that in the olden days were for white people, today as a black child I can get access anytime because there's democracy and there's fairness, equality around the whole country."
    During the tour students visited several historical sites which form part of the country's rich history, including the Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial, the Nelson Mandela Family Museum as well as the Walter Sisulu Square.
    The Apartheid Museum holds bitter memories for some of the elder generation, with pictures occupying the space documenting the struggle. 131 nooses also dangle from the ceiling, representing the number of opponents hanged under apartheid anti-terror laws.
    The youths were also given an opportunity to learn more about the journey of former South African president Nelson Mandela who became the first black leader of the country.
    The group, who come from different parts of the country, were also taken to the black township of Soweto that was a cornerstone of resistance to the apartheid regime.
    Another stop during the visit was the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial.
    Hector Pieterson was a pupil who was killed in the 1976 "Soweto Uprising". The image of him carried away has since become a symbol of the student movement.
    Students had initially taken to the streets to protest peacefully against the introduction of Afrikaans as the other language of instruction next to English in secondary schools.
    The so-called "Afrikaans Medium Decree" had forced students to sit and write some exams in Afrikaans, regardless of their local language.
    But the situation escalated and turned violent when police arrived.
    Up to 10,000 people were joined the riot on its first day, with up to 600 people thought to have been killed and thousands more injured during the course of the protests.
    The day now stands as a symbol of resistance to the brutality of the apartheid government. It is remembered as National Youth Day and marked for June 16, when South Africans honour young people and commemorate the lives that were lost.
    Kewarona Kole, another student, said the trip has been a great learning experience.
    "I've learnt how the people in the past fought for our democracy and freedom so that we can have a better life and there's opportunities we have today", he said.
    Students also visited the Walter Sisulu square in Kliptown to learn about the Freedom Charter, which was signed by the Congress of the People in 1955.
    Among the nearly 3,000 delegates of the South African Congress Alliance who signed the document were members of the African National Congress and similarly orientated parties. It has since become the manifesto of the ANC, pledging to give equal rights to South Africans.
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