Dear Fellow South African,
Today, I want to speak to the young people of South Africa. Young people are turning out in impressive numbers to get the Covid-19 vaccine. This fills me with great pride. Over half a million South Africans enrolled on the day that registration for over 18s opened.
The young people of our country are giving us all hope that an end to this time of hardship is within our sights.
As I watched young people being interviewed while queueing at vaccination centres I was impressed by their enthusiasm and excitement. Most of all I was impressed by their knowledge about the vaccine, how it can protect, and why it is necessary.
I heard young men and women speaking of the need to protect those at risk in their communities. I read a post online by a young person urging those who follow her on social media to take heed of the early days of the HIV/Aids pandemic, when young people died unnecessarily because they believed false stories that were then circulating that antiretroviral medication was deadly, or because they disregarded advice to practice safe sex.
The maturity that young people have brought to the important task of vaccinating as many South Africans as possible calls to mind the words of Frantz Fanon, that it is to each generation to discover its mission and fulfil it.
In 1994, millions of South Africans stood in queues to fulfil the mission of liberation. Many young people stood in those long queues to cast their vote for the first time.
Today it is the turn of the new generation of young people.
