The commemoration of Youth Day this year marks the 47th anniversary of the 16 June Soweto uprising.
This year’s theme is “Accelerating collaborations and opportunities to improve the lives of the youth.”
The month-long activities launched today in Soweto with several governmental and societal key makers.
The campaign was organised by National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) in partnership with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC). Its aim was to provide opportunities to young people by highlighting and celebrating young changemakers.
Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma acknowledges that more needs to be done to assist the youth; however, she also urged the young to be proactive.
“Youth Day remembers those young mainly schoolchildren protested the Bantu Education system. More than 20 000 pupils took to streets on 16 June 1976 in Soweto, in the wake of clashes with police. Approximately 700 people mainly youth lost their lives during these protests.”
This year’s National Youth Day will be celebrated over a two-day period from 16 to 17 June 2023 at the Mangaung Outdoor Sport Centre, Bloemfontein, in the Free State.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will address the National Day commemorations.
