Amnesty International South Africa says that the youth of the country cannot continue being punished for the failures of the government.
According to executive director Shenilla Mohamed, in this year’s Amnesty International South Africa’s Youth Day message, the organisation said if the government wanted to avoid another uprising like that of 1976, it needed to pay attention to the needs of the youth, who are feeling unheard, desperate and despondent.
“The hope of a bright and prosperous future that was created after the 1994 elections is all but gone, as the youth face the harsh reality of low-quality education and high youth unemployment,” Mohamed said.
She went on to highlight the finding that over 80% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa could not read for meaning, illustrates that the government continues to fail to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right to basic education for all.
The NGO further indicated that the latest unemployment statistics showed that 36.1% of 15 to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education or training.
“The report also shows that the higher the level of education, the lower the chance of unemployment. If the government wants young people to participate in the economy – to contribute to the future of the country – it needs to ensure that every child, no matter their background, is given a quality basic education and a chance at the opportunities an education can bring.”
They said the government needed to put human rights at the heart of its policies and plans, as this was about the future of South Africa.
Mohamed further said that it had been 47 years since the youth stood up against a system designed to deny them quality education, and yet, many of today’s youth still faced an unequal education system, which is still plagued by the legacy of apartheid.
“In recent years, this inequality has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and load shedding,” Mohamed said.
She said the government needed a wake-up call, as South Africa’s education system continues to be broken and unequal: ”Risking snuffing out the potential bright futures of children across the country.”