By Zandile Phiri:
My fellow South Africans
As the first young and female Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement, I write this letter with both pride and sorrow in my heart. We find ourselves once again in the Month of Remembrance – June – a month etched into the history of South Africa as a time when the youth of 1976 stood up and declared: “Enough is enough.” They faced bullets with books, oppression with unity, and injustice with courage. To many, this month carries bittersweet memories – of pain and hope, of death and rebirth. Yet for some of our youth today, this legacy exists only within the pages of history books.
It is with deep sadness that I reflect on how many of those brave souls who joined the struggle remain nameless and unrecognised. Their contributions, their voices, and their sacrifices have been swept aside by the passing of time. Even the revolutionary songs they sang – songs that once lifted spirits, inspired unity, and gave faith to a generation – are today questioned, misunderstood, or dismissed as patriarchal and outdated.
Let us not forget these were songs of hope, songs that transcended geography and language. From the East to the West, the North to the South, these chants became the heartbeat of a united movement, demanding to be heard. They echoed in every township, every school, every street where learners stood together – not just for themselves, but for the future of this nation
.
Today, nearly 30 years into our democracy, we must ask ourselves: Are we there yet?
Have the promises made in the White Paper on Education and Training been fulfilled? Have we truly honoured the legacy of 1976? Or are we watching history repeat itself, not through the violence of an oppressive regime, but through the silent suffocation of dreams, the continued inequality, and the failure to prioritise education as the cornerstone of transformation?
Our current education system, in many ways, has become bittersweet. While access has improved, quality and dignity remain unevenly distributed. Learners still protest for basic needs – from sanitation to infrastructure to safety. Students are still silenced, overlooked, and discouraged from questioning the systems that shape their future.
We must ask: Has our democracy delivered true justice for the youth? Or are we stuck in a cycle of broken promises, where the blood once spilled in the name of freedom is now overshadowed by disillusionment and despair?
The pit latrine toilets that still claim the lives of young learners… The Fees Must Fall movement that saw students bleed for justice and affordability… The killings and rapes within our schools and tertiary institutions… The tragic, recent death of a Walter Sisulu University student – fighting not for luxury, but for safe, compliant accommodation…
All of these speak to a painful truth: the fight is far from over.
To the youth of today: You carry the torch passed on from 1976. Your voice matters. Your struggle is not in vain. But it must be guided by purpose, strategy, and unity. Let us not wait for another uprising to demand what should already be guaranteed – dignity, quality education, and a future worth fighting for. Let us honour those who came before us not just with remembrance, but with action. Let this month reignite a fire in all of us – a fire that demands more than commemoration; it demands change.
Amandla!
Yours in service and solidarity,
Ms Zandile Phiri
Acting Secretary General of the United Democratic Movement
Please like, follow and engage with us on our social media platforms, links below: