African press review 17 June 2016

South African press reports on 40 years of the Soweto uprising. Meanwhile, the Mo Ibrahim foundation has not found a current  ex-African leader worthy enough to win the 5-million dollar prize this year.

DR

 We start in South Africa where the papers lead with the 40th anniversary of the Soweto Massacre, the uprising by students on June 16, 1976 against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instructions at black schools and now celebrated in the country as the national Youth Day.

Historical records show that up to 20,000 students took part in the protests. The number of protesters killed by Apartheid police is usually given as 176, but some estimates put the figure at 700.

The Times

The paper carries excerpts from a speech delivered at an anniversary rally at Johannesburg's giant Orlando stadium by June 16 Foundation official Popo Maja.

"We will never know how many died‚ their names‚ where they came from‚" Maja said, imploring his audience to remember the sacrifices the youth of Soweto made 40 years ago for the liberation of our country.

According to the newspaper, Maja also urged young people to stop burning "anything" and go to school. "The burning was done for you‚" he said.

Mail and Guardian

The Johannesburg newspaper also marks the anniversar, this time with excerpts of an article written by Anne Heffernan,  co-author of "Students Must Rise: Youth Struggle in South Africa Before and Beyond Soweto ‘76", published by Wits University Press.

She holds in the article that the university students of 2015-16 have some key things in common with their 1976 predecessors.

As she puts it, they have changed the tenor and shape of political discussion around education in South Africa, more effectively than any other single movement since 1994.

Anne Heffernan also credits the students for the significant gains their movements have made to end the exploitative practice of outsourcing jobs on campuses.However, she also points out, that the student movements today have yet to create enduring alliances with workers outside the university, or with school students.

The Star

Meanwhile, The Star publishes revealing photographic portraits of young South Africans of today, either still engaging in their own struggles, or who have found that brave path forward --in its words the two key generations that crossed from apartheid into post-apartheid history, through courage and enterprise.

According to the Star, unlike the previous children of the revolution, what South Africa's new generation share are equal rights even though they have not done enough to build on the sacrifices of their parents.

Vanguard

The paper also comments on the decision by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that no former African leader will win the prestigious $5 million yearly award for Achievement in African Leadership this year.

Vanguard reports that the independent prize committee chaired by Tanzanian Salim Ahmed Salim prize annnounced its decision on Thursday.

The paper recalls that the prize was instituted in 2006 by Sudanese telecoms entrepreneur, Mo Ibrahim, to reward former African leaders who demonstrated sterling qualities while in office, served their constitutionally mandated term; and demonstrated exceptional leadership.

Vanguard is surprised that even former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan failed to meet the key criterion to win the prize.