The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) says the struggle facing South Africa’s youth today is no longer confined to the classroom, but defined by unemployment, poverty, inequality and exclusion from economic participation.
Speaking at the Media launch of the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprising, in Soweto, NYDA Chairperson, Dr Sunshine Myende drew a direct line between the historic fight against apartheid education and the modern-day battle for economic freedom.
“For many of us as young people today, the struggle is against unemployment. The struggle today is against poverty. The struggle today is against inequality. The struggle today is against exclusion from economic participation,” Myende said on Thursday.
She added that young people, particularly women, also face the persistent threat of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF), describing it as a critical part of the broader struggle for dignity and equality.
The address formed part of the national programme marking the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, under the theme: “The Year of Youth Power – The Future is in Our Hands.”
Confronting the unfinished business of past generations
Myende said the commemoration was not only about remembrance, but about confronting the unfinished business of past generations.
Quoting anti-apartheid leader Oliver Tambo, she reminded the attendees that nations are often left with a stark choice “to submit or to fight”, a choice that defined the courage of the youth of 1976.
“We gather not only to remember them, but to honour the unfinished responsibility they handed to us,” she said.
While the context of struggle has changed, the chairperson stressed that the determination of young people to shape the country’s future remains constant. She called for tangible progress.
“We are tired of speeches. We are tired of being called together. We now want action,” Myende said.
Central to Myende’s call was the urgent need to address youth unemployment, which she described as a national crisis requiring extraordinary intervention.
Referring to the latest labour statistics, she said unemployment figures represent real lives and daily hardship for millions of young South Africans.
“These are young people who wake up every day without knowing what they are going to eat or how they will find opportunities,” she said.
She called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare youth unemployment a national disaster, arguing that such a move would unlock urgent and coordinated responses across government and the private sector.
The NYDA, she said, is already working with departments, such as the Department of Public Service and Administration, to utilise a national database of unemployed graduates, a group she described as a “ticking time bomb” for the country.
“It is painful to see graduates celebrating today, while tomorrow they face uncertainty about their future,” she said.
The chairperson emphasised that solving youth unemployment cannot rest on government alone, calling on the private sector to play a more active role in creating opportunities and integrating young people into the economy.
“Young people must not be spectators in the economy, but active participants in shaping it,” she said.
She warned that if young people are excluded from decision-making spaces, they will challenge and redefine those spaces.
“If we are not given a seat at the table, we will disrupt the table and redefine it,” she said.
Highlighting the NYDA’s interventions, Myende pointed to grant programmes and enterprise development initiatives aimed at supporting youth entrepreneurship.
These initiatives, she said, are already enabling young people to start businesses, create jobs and contribute to local economies.
“These grants are an investment in inclusion, economic participation and social stability,” she said.
The chairperson also raised concern over the cycle of short-term internships that fail to translate into long-term employment.
“Young people are tired of 12 or 24-month internships with no future beyond that,” she said.
Despite the challenges, she reaffirmed the commitment of young people to building the nation and fulfilling the legacy of those who fought before them.
“We are not just future leaders, we are the current and future leaders of this country,” Myende said.
She concluded with a call for collective action, urging government, business, and society to invest meaningfully in young people.
“The future is not something that is waiting for us. It is already calling us. Our responsibility is to ensure we are equipped to answer that call.” – SAnews.gov.za
