regulars regulars
voice of the youth
do the youth blame apartheid for their problems?
thobela fani (22) “Yes, because our future depends on our past. What was done to our forefathers affected us, emotionally and spiritually, and that's what makes the youth of today have a negative attitude. I believe that the way we were raised and our mind-set are somehow poisoned by our elders. Apartheid affected us money-wise because the government took over wealth from our forefathers.”
samantha small (18)
aphiwe tshetsha (26)
sasha hugo (20)
lwandi mgodeli (18)
"No, I don't have any problems regarding the old government. We are living in a democracy now, so any problems that the youth are experiencing are not because of the old regime – that has come and gone – but because of the current government."
''Yes, very very much, because a future is shaped by the past. If apartheid never existed, I think we would be on the same level or status. The apartheid government left a big impact, which is racism, and took over our wealth, minds and nature. But we have to admit what happened and live with it. Life can be understood backwards but it must be lived forward.''
"Yes, because all the depression and oppression caused people to be stuck in the mind-set that they don't need to work because they believe that the past should give them what they want, whereas they need to work for it."
''No, because I have everything. What happened during the past happened, and it should stay like that. We have to admit it and try to do things by ourselves and stop being dependent, because even the current government isn't providing at all.''
siphesihle cwayi (19)
micaela swaason (16)
lwandiso dayimani (21) jody phillips (19)
''No, we are still stuck to that old mentality of being dependent, especially on whites, whereas we do have skills and ideas, but we are not able to use them without being dependent. We still need to be spoonfed, whereas we can do things on our own.''
"No, because everyone has a different perspective. I can't blame apartheid because I was born after apartheid, things are different now. It didn't affect me, but obviously it did my parents and grandparents."
''No, because we have opportunities ever since we got freedom. In terms of our government being able to improve, we have to co-operate with them. If we work together, we can improve our country's situation.''
Words Chandre Appels 19
Design Thabo Xinindlu 20
Words & Photos Solomzi Mtengwane 20
"No, but I can't blame the government because I am not at a disadvantage. But I do hold them accountable for the disadvantages of others."
angelique doyle (15) "No, I think other people blame apartheid, especially the people that lived during that time. It hasn't affected me."
for more voices of sa youth check youtube.com/livemagsa
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