Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

This Youth Day, the Department of Basic Education, in partnership with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and leading literacy and youth development organisations, will host the inaugural “Language Our Freedom” dialogue.

The groundbreaking events will explore language justice, education, and youth empowerment.

The dialogue at the Jakes Gerwel Hall at UWC honours the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprisings, where students protested the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction. Nearly five decades later, the conversation continues as South Africa grapples with the role of African languages in education, identity, and social inclusion. 

Set in the linguistically diverse Western Cape - home to Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Kaaps, Sesotho, and English - the event brings together learners, educators, artists, and activists to reimagine language policy and practice.

Partners include the Kagiso Trust, Room to Read, Funda Wande, TAQA, Nal’ibali, and the Trevor Noah Foundation, all advocating for mother-tongue education and cultural preservation. 

Dr Naledi Mbude-Mehana, Deputy Director General at the Department of Basic Education in South Africa (DBE), who focuses on Transformation Programmes, said dialogue was important as a means for the department to give account for the work it has been doing.

Image: Shelley Christians/UWC

 “In the context of a multilingual education landscape, where the children in the system, in terms of linguistic justice, are not getting mother tongue-based bilingual education, and haven’t for a number of years,” said Dr Mbude-Mehana. 

 “This dialogue is important because we are accounting to the public about what we have done, what we still need to do, what the experiences of teachers, learners and parents are, what mother tongue-based education is and what it is not so that we give an opportunity to the civil society in the Western Cape to start appreciating the efforts of the June 16 youth who laid the lives so that we can have a multi-lingual education policy where learners have been consulted, parents have been consulted and there are explanations of what objectives we are trying to reach.” 

The dialogue will tackle pressing issues, including: 

• Rethinking Language in Education Policy – How policies can better reflect South Africa’s linguistic diversity.
• Mother-Tongue-Based Bilingual Education (MTbBE) – Success stories and challenges in classrooms.
• Youth, Identity, and Language – Reclaiming heritage in a digital age.
• Bridging Basic and Higher Education – Aligning curricula to support multilingual learners.

The event will blend academic discourse with cultural expression, featuring hip-hop artists, poets, and youth performers showcasing the power of language as a tool for liberation. 

"Language is more than communication—it’s dignity, memory, and belonging," said one organiser. "This dialogue is a step toward ensuring all South African youth see their languages valued in schools and society." 

As the nation reflects on the sacrifices of 1976, this Youth Day event underscores a modern truth: linguistic justice remains vital to empowerment.