Thokozile Mnguni
Government has today launched a year-long national programme to commemorate 50 years since the 1976 Youth Uprising, with a renewed call for youth empowerment, economic inclusion and intergenerational leadership.
Speaking at the launch in Soweto, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, said the Golden Jubilee programme, themed “Reset@50 – The Future Calls,” is about more than remembrance.
“Today, we are not merely launching a programme. We are opening a national year of memory, reflection and action,” Chikunga said.
She said the legacy of the youth of 1976 must continue to shape the country’s future.
“June 1976 showed South Africa and the world that young people are not spectators in history. They are makers of history and leaders of the future,” she said.
Chikunga reflected on the sacrifices made by the generation of 1976, including student leaders such as Tsietsi Mashinini, saying their courage helped change the course of the country’s history.
She also honoured journalists and photographers, including Sam Nzima, whose image of Hector Pieterson exposed the brutality of apartheid to the world.
Turning to present-day challenges, Chikunga said the country must now focus on turning access into real opportunity.
“It is not enough for young people to enter education if they do not complete, and if completion does not lead to work, enterprise or further training,” she said.
She added: “The practical meaning of Reset@50 is a youth development pipeline that moves young people from access to completion, from qualifications to pathways, and from training to absorption, ownership and dignity.”
The minister said government has committed R1.8 billion to programmes led by the National Youth Development Agency to support entrepreneurship, employment pathways and skills development.
She said the success of the Golden Jubilee would be measured by impact, not symbolism.
“The test of this Jubilee will not be the number of events we host. It will be the number of doors we open,” Chikunga said.
The year-long programme will culminate in national commemorations on 16 June 2026, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.