Pretoria – The youth of South Africa have been encouraged to take an interest in learning more about the country’s struggle history.
Freedom Park, in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation on Thursday launched the Struggle t-shirt exhibition at Freedom Park in Pretoria.
Freedom Park Acting CEO, Jane Mufamadi, said South Africa’s triumphant struggle for freedom is regarded as one of the most notable human achievements of the 20th century for equality and humanity in the continent and internationally.
“The liberation of South Africa was waged on all fronts, from within and outside South Africa.
“Due to the nature and tactics of the apartheid regime, South Africans had to resort to all forms struggle to liberate themselves from one of the most brutal system declared by the United Nations as a crime against humanity,” Mufamadi said.
The exhibition showcases t-shirts depicting several messages from the struggle era. The aim is to educate South Africans about the struggle for liberation and how it resulted in an inclusive democracy and nationalism in 1994.
Mufamadi said they want to remind the youth that the liberation of this country came about as a result of the hard-won struggle by all South Africans, both from within and outside South Africa.
She said one of the greatest weapons used to carry the message was by converting every worker, student, clergyman and citizen to become mobile billboards in every part of South Africa and elsewhere.
“Our youth especially need to know this history so that they can pass the baton to the generation after them,” Mufamadi said.
She also called on schools to encourage learners to visit Freedom Park so they can learn more about the country’s history.
“We urge all South Africans, young and old, to visit Freedom Park and see for themselves, especially school learners and students,” she said.
There are about 80 000 names of late struggle heroes and heroines engraved at Freedom Park.
Freedom Park is a cultural institution housing a museum and memorial dedicated to chronicling and honouring the many people who contributed to South Africa's liberation.
The museum aims to preserve and narrate the story of the African continent, and specifically South Africa, from the dawn of humanity, through pre-colonial, colonial and apartheid history and heritage, to the post-apartheid nation of today.
It also celebrates South Africa's heritage. It is a centre of knowledge aimed at deepening the understanding of the nation. It strives to accommodate all of the country's experiences and symbols to tell one coherent story. – SAnews.gov.za
