Pretoria - The first primary school in Pretoria, Oost-Eind, commemorated Youth Day with a rendition of poems and performances that recalled the events of June 16, 1976, the start of the Soweto uprising.
One of the poems referred to the fact that there had not been much change since the dawn of democracy in 1994. “Mama, not much has changed; they said school is the answer, but there are no jobs mama. It looks like they died for nothing mama; 27 years for nothing. The Sharpville Massacre was also for nothing mama,” one of the poems read.
Another poem highlighted the issue of sex work and how poverty led young girls to resort to prostitution to provide for their families. The learners also performed dances from Mbongeni Ngema’s Sarafina movie.
They were asked what they knew of and understood about June 16.
The learners were told about the racial discrimination that held the country in its grip during the apartheid era. They also watched a documentary on the Soweto uprising.
In it, the sister of Mbuyisa Makhubu, who was pictured holding Hector Pieterson on June 16, 1976, spoke about his disappearance. Also in the documentary, Hector Pieterson’s sister recalled how she witnessed her brother being carried to a car and later being told that he had died.
The documentary told a story of pain experienced by those who were part of the uprising, and how it affected and changed their lives forever.
The learners then gave a number of sterling performances. In one of the performances, they confronted the minister of Education, asking her why there was not so much change.
One of the scenes included a confrontation between police and students who were protesting and had planned to disrupt the minister of Education's speech, during which chaos ensued. This led to students being shot at.
Lesiba Tema, an assistant educator, said as a committee they sat down and came up with ideas on how to transfer the knowledge to the children.
“We wanted them to know what June 16 is about … There is change that was brought by the class of 1976, but it is not much, and (we wanted them to know) what are some of the challenges today’s youth are facing.
“Youth unemployment, mental health and job creation are some of the challenges … among the biggest; we want them to know that there is still hope, even if you do not get a job after graduating or going to school."
Oost-Eind was founded on June 1, 1897, on the eastern side of Pretoria, as a Dutch school, starting with 19 learners. It was a subsidised school founded in an old “Staatsmodelskool” building. The first principal was a Mr Klooster, who was at the helm from 1897 to 1908, with a staff of three women.
After two years, the school registered 140 learners, but it closed on October 11, 1899, because of the Boer War.
Pretoria News