On Friday, 16 June, South Africans commemorated the 47+ anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising in the form of Youth Day. However, local veteran Mr. Mathakha Phillip Mashau from Khalavha village says he is not happy at all with how today's youth celebrate this memorable day in history.
Mashau is recognised by the national government as a veteran of this uprising. He was part of the estimated 20 000 pupils who participated in the Soweto uprising on 16 June 1976. At the time, he was still a learner at Venda Secondary School, now known as Vuwani Secondary School.
In an interview with Limpopo Mirror on Saturday, 17 June, Mashau said his heart bled when he saw how the young people of today commemorated this day that still brought so much trauma to his life. "We cannot celebrate such a big day by drinking alcohol and partying. Do they even understand the meaning of this day? Is this what my peers died for? On this day, 47 years ago, my peers and I were fighting for a better education, and a lot of blood was shed, but we achieved what we set out for. We were not doing it only for ourselves but for the future generation. It hurts to see the same generation abusing the freedom that came after so many young lives were lost."
Mashau recalled how his life changed after the uprising. "Only a few of us - the organisers of the uprising - are still alive. Most of them have passed away since. I want the government to give us a platform to teach this new generation what that day was all about. It was not only about fighting because Afrikaans was used as the medium of instruction; we were also fighting for equality among all races. These children deserve to be told the truth. Maybe then they will respect this day," he said.