The Speaker of Council in the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Colleen Makhubele, recently honoured former political prisoners and military veterans for their contributions to the country at Patterson Park Recreation Centre in Norwood. Cllr Makhubele expressed deep respect and appreciation for ex-political prisoners, Robben Islanders, and military veterans for their tremendous sacrifices for the country. “You stood and continued in chains, in hunger, naked and most of you were in foreign lands. You watched most of your comrades dying in cold blood. You carried on and fought without understanding where comrades that got shot ended and if dead ones were buried. You left your families not knowing where you were.
“That is what is missing in our generation. Today’s generation chat about women, new iPhones, flashy cars etc. They discuss flimsy current affairs. What is happening in Africa, in Middle East, does not concern them. We are missing so much in the young people that we are bringing up today.
“We are not coherent in our struggle. All of us are fighting the battle of our own future, our own destiny. No common vision that binds us like that bound the youth of 1976 generation. Everyone is now fighting for his/her own opportunity – my education, my business. We lack a bigger common vision that can create the stream of patriotism that helped you and many bound in this bond.
“Our townships and informal settlement are full of litter. We are living in the city that we envisioned a world-class African city. It has world-class infrastructure, best of highways and buildings, great banking systems where everybody in Africa and even Europe wants to be there. Yet we do not have world-class African citizens to maintain it. We have a problem. We have lost of forms of social controls,” concluded Cllr Makhubele.
Rev Sipho Mathebula criticized the current generation at the same event for being self-centred and urged every generation to think about the welfare of the generations to come.
“We are raising a seedless generation that consumes everything, they are more concerned about themselves. We need to eat and leave something to plant for the next generation,” he pleaded.
He gave appreciation to all the leaders who planted seeds for this country to move forward.
The event featured panel discussions where individuals who played pivotal roles in the struggle against apartheid shared their experiences and sacrifices.
They expressed dismay at the current state of South Africa, where infrastructure is often vandalised and demolished. However, they also provided insights into the South Africa they had envisioned and fought for.
All honoured guests were awarded with certificates of appreciation and blankets as symbols of recognition for their contribution and to cover of the wounds they might have endured.
Written by Thembelihle Radebe
16/10/2023
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