By Bongo Hlongwane

Ubuciko Bomlomo Infortainment in collaboration with Aids Foundation Congregated Young people to
pay tribute to the youth of 1976 under the theme, “Ntuzuma Youth Uprising” at the Ntuzuma F library.
The incentive of the event was the desire to portray that Art enables young people to contend the social
injustices and social ills by educating through the means of artwork. Drawing from educating
through art, Reunite DMZ presented a stage play where they depicted the inconsiderately of young
people that occurs when they acquire success, leaving their families’ “ikati lilele eziko” starving. They
also portrayed the reckless of young people who have sexual intercourse with many partners without
utilising condoms. The overall motive of the play was to educate, inform and provoke young people to
establish a personal responsibility. A member of Reunite, Thobani Maphumulo said, “sakha ubuntu
kubantu njengokuba umntu engumntu ngabantu.”

Furthermore, young people chanted the redemption songs, unleashing the spirit of togetherness. Some
of the songs being sung included (I-Azania ingeyethu, safa saphela isizwe esimnyama, unity i-unity).
These exuberant songs led to the vigorous address of the day where Lokishi Comrade Martin unpacked
the biographies of two young late struggle icons, Xolani Nkosi Johnson and Hector Pieterson. Xolani
Johnson was a South African child who was HIV positive from birth and the first child to disclose his
status in public. Lokishi shared this information as motivation for the audience to go for testing and
utilise condoms to reduce the impact of HIV. He swiftly moved to the Hector Pieterson biography, conveying
that Hector was one of the casualties of the 1976 Soweto uprising against the use of the Afrikaans language
in schools around the country. He urged young people to value the opportunities that they have and to
contend for education and freedom to drive change for the betterment of their community as these two
icons played a major role in the betterment of peoples’ lives.

Abaqeqebuli, which is a group that comprises of three teenagers (Mthobisi Biyela, Nhlaka and Mhlengi
Biyela) residing in Mayville appreciated the platform given by UBI to perform in the line-up. Mhlengi
Biyela, who is a 13 year vocalist said he is happy with the insights shared in the space and it shall be the
motivation to do good with his art.

In conclusion, Lokishi encouraged young people from Ntuzuma to pitch on the Ntuzuma Youth Resource
Centre launching on the 18th of June in Ntuzuma F library. He said the centre had the objective of
leaving a mark in order to be honoured in the near future.

The event was wrapped by the UBI artist (Nhlanhla Mkwanazi, Ofentse Masibi, Sihle Zuma, Cyril Bhengu,
Mlu Zuma, Sphesihle Zuma, Nhlakanipho Nguse,Sphesihle Mtambo, Khulekani Ndwadwe, Andile
Mnyandu, Siyabonga Mthethwa, Khulekani Zuma, and Lindokuhle Mdlalose) who performed exceptional
poetry. The CAO forms, NSFAS forms, sanitary pad and flavored condoms were given to young people
who attended the event by aids foundation stuff.