YOUTH DAY 2022
The power of poetry
Tadiwa Moyo
I am a peaceful soul that rosewithinarid soilofan illusional garden to mend childhood fractured dreams.
With poetry, I belong.
Poetry is powerful because ithas theability to change the world by asking daringand dangerous questions toa society that isconstantly changing andevolving about thewaywe liveandtreat each other.
Poetry givesyouth a sense ofidentity andbelonging.
It speaks to the reader intimately and exclusively, giving insight into the inner workingsof their ideas and innovations.
With the ongoing gen-
der-based violence in our country, poetry raises awareness to convey these messagesof social injustice.
We nowcan answer two questions:who we are andwhat westand for.
Often in history, tyrants suppressthe poets and the creatives by burning theirbooks because they are afraid that the creatives’ ideas and innovations might spread dissenting views believed to pose a threat to the prevailing order.
A famous example being theNazi book burnings in1933 where more than25,000 books in Germanywere burned to align German arts and culture with Nazism.
When passlaws were being implementedon women inapartheid SA, women marched against them, chanting “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ Imbokotho!” (Youstrike a woman, youstrike a rock).
That isthe powerof poetry.
Poetry is a language of the fighters, notthe oppressors. As AmandaGorman once said: “Itis the language of bridges, not barriers
“Once youare ableto read, write and formulate your own ideas, you are a poet.”
However, whatmakes agreat poetis anindividual’s ability toadmit that theworld isflawedand
Life in my hometown
Gariston Burgess
Life inmy hometownis an adventureevery day because younever know what liesahead ofyou when you wake up in the morning.
You thinkyou have everything plannedout for the day, butin such a noisy andchaotic suburb anything is possible.
The soundof cars hooting andvicious dogs howlingis myalarmto wake up andis how each day starts forme though Iwould nothave it any other way.
Most people whine about load-shedding, but it forcesfamilies to spend qualitytime together, whichis what most teenagerslack in their lives these days.
High School article winner: Tadiwa Moyo, Grade 11, Riebeek College Girls High School
thus protestsagainst the established system of society.
History, capitalism and discriminationput a limit tosociety’s imagination aboutthe power of women,but through poetrywe knowwhowe are andwhat westand for.
In aworld where women havebeen and still are deprived of basic human rights, Istrive to protest againstthe established systemof society by tellingmy story theway Iwouldlike itto betold becauseI ama peaceful soulwho rose within the arid soil of an illusional garden to mend fractured childhood dreams.
Therefore AMANDLA!
High School article runner up: Gariston Burgess, Grade 11, Hillside Technical High School
Walking down the street, youwould notice children playing with patched-up soccer balls filled withold socksand
underwear. Itshows thatweare creative and resourceful.
and alwaysguided me on theright pathand told me what was ex-
pected from me.
This hasshaped me into the person that I am today and forthat I am grateful.
Oneday whenI ama fully-fledged adult,I would love to give back to mycommunity asa way tosay thankyou for everything ithas generously given me. My suburbhas inspiredme toshootfor thestarsand aimforthe moon.
People are always there foreach otherin times ofneed, giving each other foodto eat and comforting each other at funerals.
These are the types of peoplewho liveinmy hometown.
We mightnot always have much,but together we willalways have enough.
This hasinspired me to startan orphanage one day, to pass down the valuesthe suburb has taught me. At night,the street lights shine and the crickets singunder the beautiful moonlight. AsI lookthroughmy bedroom window,I imagine myselfat an opera and in that moment all of my worries andproblems go away.
This istruly thebeauty of my suburb. If God gaveme the opportunity tochoose any place to live in the world, Iwould still choose my hometown.
God placedme here for a reason.
Maybe oneday Iwill make adifference ...No! I know Iwill makea difference.
Growing up,people in the suburbwere andstill are extremely friendly
Youth struggle continues
Ayanda Mhlambiso
As the rallyingcry of Mozambique s Frelimo party inthe warof independence, Aluta Continuacouldjust aswellfit perfectly for the youth of SA today.
The strugglecontinues indeed.
It wasTebogo Tsietsi Mashinini whodelivered a movingspeech ina meeting allegedly held at the OrlandoDonaldson Community Hall in Soweto on June 13 1976.
That meeting, apparently attendedby about 500 students,was the footprint ofthe dreadful march three days later.
As brutal as it was, the aimof thatmarch wasa peaceful one.
A no-weapons protest meant to say enough of being taughtin Afrikaans, a languagethey could not understand.
This afterBantu education anddevelopment minister MCBotha had signed off a decree making Afrikaansa medium of instructionat black schools in 1974.
Under theapartheid regime ofthen prime minister John Vorster, this compulsoryrule applied from Std 5 (grade 7) pupils toStd 10(grade 12).
These werethe strugglesof theyouth ofthe time who rightfully marched against blatant oppression of their rights.
Amarch thathadchildren of 12 years old butchered inthe streets of Soweto andsparked a revolution, picturesof which flashedthe world over.
Today youfind the youth ofSA muchless concerned withsuch events, butvery much concerned, nonetheless.
SA is still the most unequal statein theworld and the youthare the ones feeling it the most.
According tothe 1st Quarterly Labour Force Survey of 2022,the unemployment rate is 63.9% forpeople aged 15-24 and 42.1% of those aged 25-34.
The World Population Review of 2022 rates SA
Tertiary Article winner: Ayanda Mhlambiso, Third Year Journalism student, NMU
third inthe worldin terms of its crime rate.
Poverty strikes poor youths frombirth and some underexcruciating circumstances.
Life inthe so-called “shacks” of SA is no environment raise a child.
The schoolsin these
areas are as abysmal.
Even basicservice deliverysuch aswaterand refuse collectionare a problem. Even education doesn’t guaranteeyou a job any more.
Graduates havebecome vendorsor are scrapping forjobs below
their qualification levels.
Some aresitting at home playingon their gadgets followingthose who claim to live the ever-sought “soft life” of young people today.
With everyone now posting theirevery move, somehave be-
come artificial in bending to thesocietal pressures ofhow theworldsees them.On this46thannual remembranceof the “Class of76”, onthis our Youth Day, may the powers thatbe remember that thebackbone and future of any nation is its
youth. May theyouth remember that even in the face of adversity, like the heroes of ‘76, they hold within themthe power to spark revolutionary change.
May youstruggle no more. Happy Youth Day
Primary school art
Winner: Sarah van der Merwe, Grade 7, Theodore Herzl Primary School
First runner up: Brooke Darne, Grade 5, Harvest Christian School
Second runner up: Ella Cullis, Grade 5, Harvest Christian School
Winner: Nceba Ntwakumba, Grade 10, Masifunde Learner Development
Second runner up: Nadia van der Westhuizen, Grade 12, Nico Malan High School
High school art
First runner up: Lihle Links, Grade 9, Masifunde Learner Development
Winner: Tamika Beckett, Grade 7, Mount Pleasant Primary School
Thatwasthe lastdayof their liveswhere they hearda banginggunlike a musicsound intotheir ears.
They gatheredand protest whilethe music sounded too far.
Black power was ruling thefloor, students were demanding a better law.
Never the less they responded Amandla Awethu (thepower is ours).
Stones andburning tires wereused tofight back sacrificing their lives for the best.
Their livesliving was to fight for freedom and
Ubuntu (humanity)... Today theirspirits are still livingwith Human Rights anddignity today as l,proudly South African, honourthem withmy artofpoetry that luse tospread the message of our history.
You arethe future heroes ofour beloved country
Pursue your dreams, study hardat nightand day.
The futureof every nation dependson the palm of your hands.
Dear youth, lf you re looking for a sign then here it is.
I knowthat you ve
gonethrougha lotandl know that you re scared.
The problemin the world todayare too much forone personto take in, but here sa reminder that life is still beautiful andyou do have time.
Regardless of what your brain thinks or what youranxiety is telling you,the world isn t going anywhere.
In a weird way, you are exactlywhere you needto beand whilel may not knowyou, treat this moment to be proud of how far you ve come. You deserve it.
First runner up: Mia Bamber, Grade 5, Clarendon Park Primary School
Youth Day
Today is youth day
And today I pray
Tomakesure thatallof my peers are okay
Since thereare many challenges
We have to face
No mattergender, skin or race
And once we grow old
Weall havemanystories to be told
Unfortunately weall saw abuse
Nomatter howacuteor obtuse
My hope forall our youth Isthat wecan learn from the truth
May we all celebrate today
Our future is in our hands and here to stay
The First Sip
Winner: Lisakhanya Sandi, Grade 11 Ethembeni Enrichment Centre
Sitting deadly in a bottle
Poured out innocently like water
Pure, clear,camouflage in my glass
I take the first sip
Strong scent,rough taste, I choke on it
I put it down and recover from it
“The second try is always better than the first” He tells me, looking into
my eyes
I take the second sip
Afewsips, thereisno more
A sparkling bright colour A sweet taste
It’s notapple juice,he calls it a cider
Ifinish thefirstbottle, head on to the next
I find myself in a blurry room
Pretty girls, pretty girls
Cool guys, cool guys
Followeach otherintoa dark corner
He walks with me
He holds me gently He overpowers me;he is on top of me
I scream as my body is pressed downonto the floor
He does not look into my drowning eyes He isdone, hewalks
away Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
Sweet andonly seventeen
Sitting innocentlyon the floor
Theroom isnolonger blurry
Forthe firsttime allis clear
Since the first sip
Second runner up: Luyanda Mpunzi, Grade 12, Westering
Stolen water
Golden grass
Cover the lawns
The people cry -salty streams
The morning dew,
A hope only for the leaves
Ribbons meander
Across the streets from a tap.
Dry land
Stolen crystals
Yes, It finally came.
The day, not the water.
The poem is inspired by the infamous “Day Zero” Port Elizabeth shall soon be facing. Comparing the water to crystals as it is a precious resource.
High school poetry
First runner up: Makhadiedi Solomon, Grade 9, Ethembeni Enrichment Centre
The boy in his eyes
The boy in his eyes
Not so long agowe were both in the same uniform
Grey pants, white shirt, moving about in our maroon blazers.
I’d swear we looked the same.
Only difference nowis your brown cap and red clay which you spread on yourface when it’s time to leave your home.
Shareda fewdreamand tolda few lies.
You were thespeaker and I was the thinker.
They witnessedour strong bond.
Now they just witness your punch on my face.
Howcould youhavechanged
somuch? Inowsee adifferent side ,a side that I hate, a side that I fear and a side that I question.
Did your hunger to be a man finally satisfy our once upon a time goal?
Thegoalwehad setthatby18 we would be ‘obhuti’
While youchoose togo ahead I choose my books.
You believe in being the man and I believe in being a man.
Looking down onme just because.
Taking an identity given to you while I uncover who I know I want to be.
WHAT ISTHE DIFFERENCE THEN?
