Fifty years after the Soweto Uprising ignited a generation’s fight for freedom and dignity, South Africa’s youth are still being denied their rights through corruption, unemployment, inequality and failing public systems, Amnesty International South Africa said today, as the country commemorates Youth Day.
“On 16 June 1976, young people took to the streets to demand an education that respected their language, dignity and humanity. Fifty years on, many young people in South Africa are confronting a different, but no less devastating, denial of their rights through a failing education system, record‑high youth unemployment, endemic gender‑based violence, and a political system that continues to exclude young people from decisions that shape their lives,” Amnesty International South Africa Executive Director Shenilla Mohamed said.
With youth unemployment for 15 to 24-year-olds sitting at 60.9% in the first quarter of 2026, and more than 4.7 million young people out of work, an entire generation is being locked out of opportunity and dignity. Many are disillusioned with elections due to empty political promises and a system that continues to sideline them. This disillusionment is also being fueled by corruption, mismanagement and poor service delivery. This growing sense of hopelessness and disengagement is dangerous. When young people withdraw, those in power face less pressure to deliver real change. We are seeing more and more of this in the run up to this year’s local government elections.
“The youth of 1976 refused to accept a future imposed upon them, standing with courage against injustice and demanding dignity, equality, and freedom. Today’s youth must likewise resist the pull of silence and disengagement. At a time when human rights remain under threat, your voice, your vote, and your activism are vital. They are the tools through which we defend hard-won freedoms, hold power to account, and push forward the unfinished struggle for justice and equality for all,” said Shenilla Mohamed. Amnesty International South Africa is calling on young people across the country to resist, not only through protest which is your right, but through active participation in shaping the society they want to live in. This means exercising the right to vote, holding leaders accountable, joining human rights campaigns and using voices boldly on issues ranging from justice and economic inequality to gender rights and access to quality education.
“When young people engage, systems change,” Shenilla Mohamed said.
History has shown us time and again that the most powerful movements for justice are led or amplified by the youth. We urge the youth in South Africa to not let their future be decided without them. Own your power and your voice.
Amnesty International South Africa will continue to work alongside youth activists and movements to demand better access to quality education and basic rights and to ensure that the government fulfils its human rights obligations to all young people in South Africa.
Background
Youth Day in South Africa is celebrated on 16 June, to commemorate the historic 1976 Soweto uprising, which saw thousands of black students take to the streets in protest against the apartheid government’s Bantu education system with many of them being killed and injured by the regime.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Genevieve Quintal, Media and Communications Officer, Amnesty International South Africa: +27 (0)64 890 9224; genevieve.quintal@amnesty.org.za
