Why we must remember…
On this exact day 40 years ago, a heavy dark cloud smothered, depressed and temporarily dampened the resolve, courage, spirits and hearts of students, of freedom fighters, the anti-apartheid movement and many voices across the world.
On this day 40 years ago, the apartheid regime broke the heart of Martha Mahlangu, a loving and courageous mother from the township of Mamelodi.
On this specific day 40 years ago, the apartheid government of South Africa chose to assert its stubborn belief in a declared Crime Against Humanity.
On this day the 6th of April 1979 – a day ironically known in Apartheid South Africa as “National Day” marking the arrival of Jan Van Riebeeck (on April 6, 1652);the apartheid regime sought to break and bury the memory and spirit of the youth of 1976 by physically sapping the life of a 22 year old Solomon Mahlangu.They sought to feed and nourish the monster of racial supremacy with the fresh blood of black and African youth. They hoped to forever extinguish the flame of the revolution, to break the wave of courage that had erupted from Soweto and reverberated across the country, our continent and the world over
From 1977 to 1979, through Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and Steve Biko, the apartheid regime trialed and punished the youth of 1976.
The regime sought to stem the tide of the youth who were rejuvenating the liberation movements beyond the borders of South Africa. They sought to dim the international spotlight that the youth of 1976 had attracted through their courage.
BUT…they did not succeed.
Instead, a thousand Solomons sprung up and he, as Oliver Tambo affirmed, died ” unbroken and unbreakable” and ” towered like a colossus over the fascists lair’.
As a torchbearer of the 1976 generation that spearheaded a courageous campaign for freedom and a just education system, Solomon Mahlangu’s name was canonized through the anti-apartheid movement, and, as a result a school in the heart of Tanzania was built were a thousand Solomons where nurtured and continue to be born to this day.
We must remember because the struggles for education have ensued and they continue throughout many institutions and fora in South Africa. The struggle to free ourselves from the stranglehold of the inherited disabilities of the “past ” and present continue in many terrains of society.
The memory of Mahlangu, Biko and the youth of 1976 remind us of the importance of disruption – a disruption that is necessary and more often brought about by the youth.
We must remember because today 25 years into our democracy, black youth have made up the biggest unemployed demographic in South Africa. In a sense, the country has continued to structurally punish black youth in particular; and remembering our liberation history enables us to draw lessons on how to address this problem that has been persistent post-apartheid.
Remembering Kalushi means remembering to be courageous, to be true to who you are and to know that you are never too young to make an impact in society that will outlive you and serve many generations. To remember, that even as you are one, you are representative of many – an important pixel in history and picture of the future.
While there is a long way to go, you are Kalushi’s dream.
Aluta Continua
SOMAFCO Trust – https://somafcotrust.org.za