Echoes of 1976: Youth then and now

The HSRC invites you to a special session reflecting on the enduring challenges facing South African youth, beginning with the pivotal moment of the Soweto Uprising. In 1976, young people in township schools resisted the imposition of Bantu Education and the enforcement of Afrikaans as the dominant medium of instruction, policies that symbolised broader systems of inequality and exclusion. This session will place those historical experiences in dialogue with the realities confronting youth today, including persistently high unemployment, unequal access to quality education and resources, and deep spatial inequalities across urban centres, townships, and under-resourced rural areas. By drawing connections between past and present, the discussion will explore both continuity and change in the lives of young South Africans. The conversation will feature Sibongile Mkhabela, the only female member of the Soweto 11 who were tried and detained by the state, alongside #FeesMustFall student activist Nompendulo Mkatshwa. They will be joined by HSRC youth specialists Prof. Sharlene Swartz, Dr Angelique Wildschut, and Dr Adam Cooper for a rich, intergenerational dialogue on youth, resistance, and the future.