The South African youth of today face June 16th every day

The language of oppression of the 1976 decree has, over the years, manifested in economic oppression and persistent social ills as a result of the failed economic policies of the current government.  

The 16th of June 1976 marked a very tragic but pivotal moment in the fight against apartheid. This once-off tragic event saw the massacre of young people who fearlessly confronted the repressive apartheid regime, followed by an international outcry against human rights aberrations by the apartheid government. By their courage to take the brutal regime head-on, the youth of 1976 placed the appalling human rights abuses of the apartheid regime on the international stage. The iconic and history-defining photograph of Hector Pieterson, who was shot by the apartheid police, being carried by another young man, still is a posture of young people’s sacrifice for political freedom.   

But the economic and societal challenges facing the youth of today easily render the death of Hector Pieterson and other hundreds of 1976 youths in vain. Today, almost half of young people in South Africa cannot find work; the numbers continue to soar year on year. One in ten South African schools, particularly in informal and rural settlements, do not have proper sanitation. In the past, pupils have drowned in schools’ pit toilets. In a recent study by the AFI-ISS, the drastic decline of water and sanitation services is mainly due to poor leadership at the municipal level, calling for governance reforms right from the local government level. 

Furthermore, South Africa is one of the most crime-ridden countries in the world, ranking 5th globally with a crime index rate of 75.5 according to 2025 records. These challenges undermine the legacy of the youth of 1976. 

While the challenges look dire and the future looks bleak, a turnaround is possible if there is political will. South Africa is endowed with critical mineral resources that, if managed differently, can take care of its citizens and future generations. South Africa’s economy is well diversified, with the best infrastructure on the continent. Literacy levels are improving despite the challenges facing basic and higher education.  

South Africa’s financial sector is one of the most advanced not only on the continent but in the world. Its stock market is well integrated with global markets, and its depth is unmatched by any other stock market on the continent, ranking in the top 20 in the world. The banking sector is robust and capable of attracting much-needed capital flows. These endowments set South Africa up for a brighter and better future ahead, to lead the African continent and its youth to a social and economic utopia. 

Fundamental to resolving the economic and social failures of the country is embedded in economic growth and governance. The country needs a paradigm shift in economic policies that can bring societal transformation, especially for young people, particularly black people who sit on the fringes of the economy. Investments that generate economic growth and reduce unemployment are a matter of urgency. Currently, by Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), an indicator for investment and economic growth, the World Bank data estimates that South Africa is investing only sixteen of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) into new projects that create today and future economic growth. This is not enough to pull the country out of its current economic quagmire. The World Bank data shows that other emerging market economies such as China and India invest at least twice as much as what South Africa currently invests its economy.  

While peer emerging markets economies have been increasing in gross capital investments over the years, South Africa is in decline.  

If the sustainable economic question remains unresolved, the youth of today face a bleak future ahead that may worsen for generations to come. Economic uncertainties breed disgruntlement that can easily bear political and social conflicts that are not only dire but difficult to resolve once they emerge.  

June 16 commemoration can no longer be a platform for cross country parade by politicians clad in political party regalia, but a call to action to place the country on a developmental trajectory that creates prosperity for all, particularly the youth. The youth of today are in economic chokehold, they do not identify with the repressive language of the apartheid regime’s decrees that sparked the 1976 uprising. Their current priority is survival.  

Dr Wisdom Zimuto is a post-doctoral research fellow at Stellenbosch Business School.