Today's Youth become Tomorrow's Leaders

Youth Day is marked as a day of sacrifice during the 1976 Soweto Uprising. It serves as an example of the youth’s ability to bring about change regarding their dissatisfaction with the compulsory medium of instruction. It sometimes seems that we forget why it is important that we celebrate this day and what it means for our youth today.

On 16 June 2026, Youth Day was celebrated in Wellington at the CPUT sports grounds. Various sports such as rugby, volleyball, soccer and netball were available for the children to play to provide them with fun for the day. Many children see sport as an outlet to escape the circumstances they find themselves in. Today’s youth generally face obstacles such as poverty and gang violence, which make it difficult for them to see a way out. We, the leaders of today, have a common duty to ensure that young people have the necessary sports facilities to practice sports. Sport serves as an option for the youth to make the right choices for a better future.

Summer-Joy Hendricks, a pilot from Worcester, says that your circumstances do not determine where you end up. Many children do not see the light at the end of the tunnel, so guest speakers like Summer-Joy Hendricks are important for the youth to see. She serves as an inspiration that it is possible to make a success of yourself regardless of your circumstances.

The importance of Youth Day is that the future lies in the hands of our youth. Prof. Dippenaar from CPUT says, “We must have a big impact on the youth to ensure that they do not end up on the streets.” Again, this suggests that we have a responsibility towards our youth to ensure that the future looks promising.

Prof Dippenaar staan met CPUT Studente

We commemorate Youth Day for our past, which was a path of sacrifice and victory, but also for a prosperous future.