Thousands of learners from schools across Gauteng embarked on a parade to the Hector Pieterson Memorial in Soweto as part of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s Youth Month Programme.
The walk was led by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi accompanied by people in fancy dress and a student band.
The walk was undertaken to celebrate the achievements of young people and highlight their rights and responsibilities. A large contingent of police officers were deployed and kept a close watch on the students.
Lesufi says the parade was aimed at paying tribute to the students that died on the 16th of June 1976.
“We are officially taking over the baton from the generation of 1976 so that these young people can run the country and be in a position to deal with the challenges .So it is just a solidarity march to give them the information that they need ,” says the MEC.
Residents say they are concerned about the criminal activities that are taking place right at their doorsteps
Meanwhile, dozens of Democratic Alliance (DA) members together with residents of Doornfontein marched to the Jeppestown police station in central Johannesburg. The march was aimed at creating awareness about crime in the CBD. The DA’s Percy Koji has called on police to make the area safer.
“The highlighted issues is that the community must be openly actively involved and they have to continue reporting criminal activities . The community lost hope from the police, when they report issues, nothing happens. We are actually on that level where we saying to the police please work with us and the community to make them feel safe and better.”
Residents say they are concerned about the criminal activities that are taking place right at their doorsteps. They say they even fear walking on streets as people are getting robbed every day, calling for more police visibility.
– By Ditaba Tsotetsi
