• Events and campaigns
  • International women’s day
  • Human rights day
  • Youth day
  • Father’s day
  • Zero Tolerance
• Programmes
  • Citizens in dialogue
  • Gendocracy
  • Justice for gender
• Donor
  • SAMGI’s Donors
  • Reports
• Publications
  • Manuals
  • Posters
  • Newsletters
  • Booklets
  • Pamphlets
• Trainings
  • What we train
  • Why we train
• About Us
  • Herstory
  • What does SAMGI do?
  • Staff, interns and volunteers
• More…
  • Links
  • Assist Us

Mambo on Youth Day

On June 16 1976, thousands of young South Africans across the nation rose up against a system that was dominating and oppressing. The actions of these young people, many of who lost their lives, triggered a revolution that has become very significant part of our struggle history. Every year we salute and honour the brave young lives that perished and also celebrate the victory that their brave deeds helped to secure.

Ten years into freedom and democracy the majority of our youth are still in a struggle. Poverty, unemployment, access to quality higher education, crime, substance abuse and HIV/Aids are just some of the challenges facing today's youth.

In ten years of freedom and democracy the government has developed many youth programs that seek to empower our youth. Unlike the struggle days, youth today have access to channels that are designed to make their lives more productive and honourable. Most important of which is the Constitution , founded on the values of the advancement of human rights and freedoms, non-racialism and non-sexism.

Adopted in this Constitution is a Bill of Rights often considered one of the most comprehensive expressions of rights contained in a Constitution. As such it serves as a valuable guide for all citizens.

Unfortunately the majority of our youth and most South Africans are not quite familiar with their rights as enshrined in the Constitution. So… as part of SAMGI's campaign to take the constitution to the people, we took the "WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS!" project to the community of Gugulethu. The project entails a series of Human Rights education and awareness workshops.

As part of the celebrations we lined up a menu of edutainment that included speeches from Judith Smith-Vialva, director of SAMGI and Joe Mtimkha of TOMECY, a township youth project. A dance troupe from Angola thrilled the crowds with a rich cultural dance called the 'capoeira'. A remarkable display of agility that taps on an individuals sense of confidence. A local percussions outfit belted out some lovely tunes from their set of marimbas as vibrant youth shuffled pantsula grooves to the rhythm.