Frantz Fanon teaches that every generation must discover its own mission, fulfil it, or betray it. The youth of 1976 discovered their mission to directly confront the apartheid regime, and they carried it out with courage.

Today we are told that we are free but most of us live in poverty. There are very few jobs for us and the jobs that do come are badly paid, precarious and provide work without meaning and dignity. Often jobs only go to people who are related to politicians. We celebrate when we complete our matric or graduate from university only to be disappointed to find that on the other side of these milestones there is only more waiting for life to begin, waiting that just goes on and on as we get older.

With so many young people unable to study or work, rates of anxiety and depression are very high. Many people try to get some relief from their pain with alcohol and drugs, which always makes things worse. Suicide is common. Some people take out their anger on other people and violence is everywhere.

We do not live in the age of freedom. We live in the age of hopelessness and despair. The ANC has betrayed the youth of 1976 and it has continuously betrayed the youth of 2025. We have been abandoned. We are on our own. Corruption is everywhere. The economy continues to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Young people continue to give their lives in struggle, whether at the hands of assassins, the police or anti-land invasion units.

In this age of hopelessness and despair we take hope from each other, in togetherness (Unity), and make meaning for our lives in struggle. Capitalism tells us that everyone has their own mission, that we must fail or succeed on our own. The struggle teaches us that we are poor because we have been made poor and kept poor and that we can learn and advance together.

On 14 and 15 June the Abahlali baseMjondolo Youth held a whole night camp in Durban to discuss the political, social and economic challenges that are faced by young people today. The camp was well attended by young people all over the province of KwaZulu-Natal. We are committed to building socialism from below, to giving hope, real hope, to ourselves, to the youth and to working with other progressive forces around the world to give hope to all oppressed and suffering people everywhere.

Today as we commit to taking the struggle in South Africa forward after the betrayal of the youth of 1976 we are also sending our solidarity to all young people who are facing wars all over the world, as well as the youth of Palestine who are facing a genocide. The youth of Palestine, as well as young people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran and Sudan continue to live in fear as they do not know their future and the future of their countries.

Contact:

Sthandwa Miya 081 303 3129
Thandeka Thusini 076 647 9641
Simi Zikode 067 750 9918
—
Land & Dignity!

---