Fifty years after the Soweto uprising, Eastern Cape youth leaders say the struggle for dignity is far from over, though the battleground has changed.
While the youth of 1976 confronted an apartheid government over Afrikaans and Bantu education, today’s young people are fighting unemployment, poverty, drug abuse and a lack of opportunities.
ANC Youth League provincial chair Lihle Chalo said the challenges facing young people in 2026 were different but equally urgent.
“In 1976, they died for a classroom. In 2026 our youth die in queues at clinics, in taverns, and in hopelessness,” Chalo said.
“The spirit of defiance must be the same. The target is different.”
He said the generation of 1976 secured democracy and constitutional rights, but economic freedom remained elusive for many young South Africans.
“Fifty years later, Eastern Cape youth still walk long distances to schools without laboratories, graduates remain unemployed and municipalities struggle to provide basic services.
“Hector Pieterson was 13. Today we bury 13-year-olds lost to drugs and gangsterism. That is our indictment.”
Chalo called on government to treat youth unemployment as a national disaster and redirect resources towards job creation and business support.
He also urged young people to become self-reliant.
“The youth of 1976 said ‘to hell with Afrikaans’. The youth of 2026 must say ‘to hell with dependency’. Start a food garden, learn to trade and farm. The new picket line is a productive life.”
DA Youth provincial chair Amzolele Nkolisa said the courage shown by the youth of 1976 remained an example for young people today.
“Those young people marched knowing the government itself was against them. It shows what can happen when young people refuse to accept injustice,” he said.
Nkolisa said unemployment remained the defining challenge facing his generation.
“Very few people under 35 own homes or can afford to start families. Graduates and experienced young professionals are struggling to find work because the system is failing them.”
He said young people needed greater representation in decision-making structures.
“We cannot keep talking about the youth of 1976 without creating space for today’s youth to lead. We need young people in government and governance where they can advocate for solutions.”
Border-Kei Chamber of Business youth desk chair Zintle Nondwangu said the values that inspired the 1976 generation — dignity, education and opportunity — remain relevant today.
She said many young people were now expressing that spirit through entrepreneurship and innovation.
“The Soweto uprising lives on when young people create businesses that generate jobs, challenge inequality and bring fresh solutions to old problems,” Nondwangu said.
However, she warned that high unemployment, limited access to finance and the digital divide continued to hold many young people back.
“Government, business and civil society must work together to open doors, share expertise and invest in youth-led initiatives.”
Eastern Cape Business Chamber representative Dr Andile Nontso painted an even bleaker picture, arguing that many young people face conditions worse than those experienced by previous generations.
“Youth unemployment remains extremely high, access to finance is limited and too few young people participate meaningfully in the economy,” Nontso said.
“Parliament is full of elderly people while youth remain on the sidelines. Many are turning to drugs and alcohol out of frustration.”
He said government needed to prioritise youth development and provide greater support for young entrepreneurs.
As SA prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of June 16, youth leaders across the political and business spectrum agree on one thing: while the struggle has changed shape, the fight for opportunity, dignity and economic inclusion remains unfinished.
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