June 16th and other matters

The month of June has seen many interesting and sad events occurring. We celebrated another anniversary of the 'Soweto Uprising' of June 16, 1976, looking at our past, present and future with a focus on our Youth. there is still so much to be done with regards to youth development in South Africa. But some progress has been made and we hope much more will be achieved in the coming years. The most important achievement in my view, would be for young people to have a feeling of self-worth, to value themselves as human beings and in doing so, extend that same regard to their fellow human beings. The most important legacy that my parents gave me, is to love myself in spite of all my faults and to believe that I can do anything, be anything. That has held me in good stead in my adult years.

Within this month of June, we have said goodbye to two great struggle icons and activists, Ma Albertina Sisulu and Professor Kader Asmal. I am honored to have been in South Africa to have heard of these two exemplary luminaries, to have known them through media reports. Their passing has left an indelible mark on me, I feel as if I knew them personally. I have the greatest admiration for what they have achieved, for their tireless work towards achieving the goals of the struggle. For never giving up on what they believed in and for their honesty and transparency. 

This month of June also saw the return of South Africa to the Venice Biennale with the opening of the South African exhibition that featured 3 South African artists; Lyndi Sales, Mary Sibande and Siemon Allen with truly inspiring artworks that speaks to the many socio-political changes (both subtle and obvious) that South Africa has gone through since attaining democratic freedom in 1994.