The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Baleka Mbete, has urged young people to learn from the generation of 1976, who never burnt down a single public facility during their fight against "bantu education", but expressed their displeasure in the delivery of services in other ways.
Addressing hundreds of young people from all nine provinces during the National Youth Parliament summit taking place in Kliptown, Soweto, Ms Mbete said South Africans should have a dialogue on how communities put across their demands for services.
"It is perplexing to see that in our communities schools, libraries, clinics and community centres are torched and burned to the ground. This rogue behaviour is unacceptable and hurts the very people who need these facilities most: our youth and the vulnerable.
"We should remember that not a single school was burnt during the 16 June 1976 student uprising. Just recently we witnessed students doing the unthinkable by burning university buildings on some campuses and destroyed other facilities and furniture, just to communicate that they cannot afford the fees," said the Speaker.
Ms Mbete called the burning down of schools "unforgivable and totally unacceptable conduct which goes against the spirit of our great heroes of 1976. We have it in our power to stop this tragedy, which goes against the spirit of our great heroes of 1976.
"I therefore call on the youth in particular and leaders in communities to be at the forefront of reconstruction and development, rather than breaking down that which brings the promise of lifting our people out of poverty and a brighter future," she said.
"Rising to the call of 1976 and indeed the youth of today, our government continues to prioritise education as an instrument of liberation. Thus education as a key to development and a better life receives the biggest chuck of the budget."
The Youth Parliament is held every year during the month of June, usually in Parliament in Cape Town, to commemorate the 1976 youth uprisings where students fought against the introduction of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the 16 June Soweto uprisings and the commemoration is held in Kliptown, a historic site for South Africa's struggle for liberation, where the Freedom Charter was adopted on 26 June 1955.
"This year and during June, we also commemorate the anniversary of the Freedom Charter, which was held on 26 June 1955 in Kliptown, spelling out the people's vision of the kind of South Africa they desired," the Speaker said.
The Speaker also paid tribute to the generation of 1976, some of whom attended the opening of the Youth Parliament. They included former Member of Parliament Mr Danny Montsitsi, Deputy Secretary to Parliament Ms Baby Tyawa; Ms Totsie Memela CEO of the Women's Development Bank, and Mr Jabu Khumalo from the Each One, Teach One Foundation.
"Today many of the youth of 1976 are giving fruition to the Freedom Charter by contributing towards the reconstruction of a democratic South Africa in many sectors of the country and the world. Indeed, the struggle and sacrifices of the youth of 1976 were not in vain," said the Speaker.
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