By Tabisa Mntengwana
10 June 2009

FUN and learning marked Youth Day in Mdantsane, with a mini circus, face painting, crafts, indoor soccer, a dance competition and traditional dancing taking place at the Indoor Sports Centre on Tuesday, 16 June.

There were also theatre pieces and a quiz to teach today's youngsters about the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976.

Over a hundred children from the township took part in the Fun Day, organised by the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme (MURP) to entertain and educate them about the significance of Youth Day.

The day is a national public holiday, held annually on 16 June, to commemorate the student uprisings of 1976. On 16 June of that year, schoolchildren in Soweto, in Johannesburg, peacefully marched to protest against the use of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in township schools.

They were attacked by apartheid security forces, which shot to death young protesters. This ignited the youth across the country, who joined the protests.

Children from the ages of six to 13 years participated in the Mdantsane programme. According to a press release issued by MURP, the activities were aimed at keeping the children occupied and at broadening their minds, using entertainment as a tool.

The day kicked off with face painting and a mini circus, featuring juggling and a balloon artist. There was a colour-in competition and random quiz shows, where children won prizes including branded pens, T-shirts and pencil cases.

Then Afro-contemporary dance group, African Young Blood, showed off their skills. "This range of activities will also help young people to identify their talent and participate in some of the activities held at the arts centre," said Mamoeketsi Khetsi-Magida, the MURP operations manager.

Three plays – June 16, Mortuary and News – taught the children about Youth Day and politics during apartheid.

The day concluded with a quiz show where children were quizzed and educated about the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme. "These activities will also help children learn, understand and encourage MURP awareness while still young," said Khetsi-Magida.