“Deliberation and debate is the way you stir the soul of our democracy. ” Jesse Jackson
Youth Day 2026 was indeed soul-stirring for me – to hear young ladies speak candidly, courageously and raise controversial issues in a balanced manner. Why? Because 50 years ago, when the youth spoke up and protested against the apartheid government’s Bantu Education policy, they were met with teargas and live ammunition to silence their voices.
At the panel discussion and book launch of “30 Years of Democracy: Critical Reflections”, youth voices rang out, raising pertinent issues of unequal education, lack of access to resources, youth unemployment and encouraging broader youth activism, particularly ahead of local government elections.
The book, edited by Selvan Naidoo and Professor Jairam Reddy, is a project of the 1860 Heritage Centre History Society. It features conference papers and reflective essays from legal practitioners, activists, researchers and of course, the youth. The writings reflect on the achievements of our democracy, interrogate the setbacks and suggest solutions for the way forward. Thank you to all the contributors, panellists and especially the young ladies from Northlands Girls’ High. I’m honoured to have to have facilitated the panel discussion and to have my writing featured in the book.
Sharing a snippet from my reflective essay:
“There are many things that are a source of discomfort in our country – from crime to corruption and the cost of living. We mourn the lives lost and we fight for justice through our courts. The fact that so many heinous crimes continue to be perpetuated in a democratic nation is truly devastating. As painful as it is and as fearful as we often are for our own lives, we keep showing up, for ourselves and for each other. Each day we go to work and each day we buy from businesses, we are choosing to build our country. That spirit of resilience is what makes us proudly South African.
Three decades into our Constitution, there is much work still to be done. But we must be proud of how far we have come and realise that loving each other a little more is what we have to work on every day.”
