In June 1976, the oppressed youth of South Africa – without any adult manipulation – rose in spontaneous revolt to protest the blatant injustices of institutionalized racism and discriminatory education. Although this youthful insurrection was brutally crushed by the apartheid state, the immediate and long-term legacy of these fearless student protests heralded the beginning of the end of white hegemony in this part of the world.
To celebrate this pivotal moment in South African history, the Open Mosque has invited one of the country’s leading intellectuals, Professor Jonathan Jansen – who is currently attached to the Education Faculty at Stellenbosch University – to deliver the keynote address on Youth Day. This first black former rector of Free State University, who is the acclaimed author of several academic publications, is eminently qualified to speak about the ethos of beneficial learning and young people. His presentation is purposely entitled: The Role, Responsibility and Rights of South Africa’s Youth.
There is little doubt that this pertinent topic is of profound relevance in contemporary South Africa. It is high time that all South Africans are informed that freedom and democracy does not only entail rights but also responsibilities. The youth, most especially, rather than the wiser older generation, should be educated not just to break and burn, but also to build South Africa. Why is it that young people have such a propensity to damage and destroy public facilities with impunity? Without emphasizing that rights come with responsibilities, South Africa will remain on an inevitable downward trajectory that is purely the product of incompetent ANC mis-governance and official malfeasance.
Professor Jansen’s frank and forthright lecture will be another milestone for the Open Mosque as it uniquely does not focus on spiritual matters alone, but is equally dedicated to tackling the social injustices and political corruption that fuels rampant lawlessness, wanton criminality and a host of other socials ills in post-apartheid South Africa.
Prior to Professor Jansen’s lecture, there is an added bonus of a controversial group of disgruntled local activists making its public debut in Cape Town by speaking at a recognised House of Worship. Fadiel Adams, of the newly-formed Gatvol [Fed-up] Capetonians, will talk about the rationale for the emergence of their minority rights organisation.
Since its launch last month, this grassroots movement has committed itself to safeguarding the endangered position of the native Khoisan, Coloureds, Malays, Indians and Whites of the Western Cape. It is spearheading a bold campaign to resist the insidious hidden agenda of the ANC to transform South Africa’s only largely non-Black province into yet another Bantu majority territory by slyly inducing masses of black foreigners as well as Bantu from other regions to settle in the Western Cape to eventually outnumber the indigenous inhabitants. This is all part of a pernicious ethnic-cleansing policy to change the demographic landscape as well as the racial composition of the Western Cape at the expense of the long-established Khoisan, Coloureds, Malays, Indians, Whites, etc.
In addition to rejecting the presence of hordes of illegal unskilled and uneducated foreign Africans streaming into the Western Cape, Gatvol is also targeting triumphalist Bantu racism and the ANC’s unconstitutional job preferences for Eastern Cape migrants and other foreign immigrants fleeing problems there to bring problems here! In view of these legitimate concerns, Gatvol deny that they are Coloured ‘nationalists’. [By the way, the ANC and the EFF are, in fact, black nationalists]. Gatvol define themselves as Khoisan champions, Minority Rights activists and local patriots who love their ancestral land and its people. Clearly, the political landscape in this province is shifting dramatically and it will be instructive to hear first-hand how this new initiative will pan out for next year’s crucial elections.
The Open Mosque gala function to mark Youth Day starts at 7 pm with the performance of the nightly (I’sha) prayers. This will be followed by a relevant Qur’anic recitation in both Arabic and English. Thereafter, the first courses will be served before the Gatvol representative addresses the gathering. A time-constrained Q&A session ensues before the hearty buffet dinner commences at 8 pm, after which the keynote speaker will deliver his presentation. Given the prominence of our distinguished scholar as well as the pertinence of Gatvol, there will be a huge demand for the limited seating available at this function. Kindly email to reserve your places as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
