Sascha Hugo (20) Damelin, Human Resources student:

“Yes, because all the depression and oppression caused people to be stuck in the mind-set that they don’t need to work because they believe that the past should give them what they want, whereas they need to work for it.”

Angelique Doyle (15) Grade 9 – Fairbairn College:

“No, I think other people blame apartheid, especially the people that lived during that time. It hasn’t affected me.”

Micaele Swaason (16) J.G Meiring High School – Grade 10

“No, because everyone has a different perspective. I can’t blame apartheid because I was born after apartheid, things are different now. It didn’t affect me, but obviously it did my parents and grandparents.”

Samantha Small (18):

“No, I don’t have any problems regarding the old government. We are living in a democracy now, so any problems that the youth are experiencing are not because of the old regime – that has come and gone – but because of the current government.”

Jody Phillips (19) City Varsity – Sound Engineering:

“No, I can’t blame the government because I am not at a disadvantage. But I do hold them accountable for the disadvantages of others.”

Siphesihle Cwayi (19)

”No, we are still stuck to that old mentality of being dependent, especially on whites, whereas we do have skills and ideas, but we are not able to use them without being dependent. We still need to be spoon-fed, whereas we can do things on our own.”

Lwando Dayimani (21)

”No, because we have opportunities ever since we got freedom. In terms of our government being able to improve, we have to cooperate with them. If we work together, we can improve our country’s situation.”

Lwandiso Mgodeli (18)

”No, because I have everything. What happened during the past happened, and it should stay like that. We have to admit it and try to do things by ourselves and stop being dependent, because even the current government isn’t providing at all.”

Aphiwe Tshetsha (26)

”Yes, very very much, because a future is shaped by the past. If apartheid never existed, I think we would be on the same level or status. The apartheid government left a big impact, which is racism, and took over our wealth, minds and nature. But we have to admit what happened and live with it. Life can be understood backwards but it must be lived forward.”

Thobela Fani (22)

Yes, because our future depends on our past. What was done to our forefathers affected us, emotionally and spiritually, and that’s what makes the youth of today have a negative attitude. I believe that the way we were raised and our mind-set are somehow poisoned by our elders. Apartheid affected us money-wise because the government took over wealth from our forefathers. The way they treat us now (some of them) makes us see things the way we do. And our leaders of today are to be blamed too, because they are using the same system. We cannot look forward without knowing our past, and our past is not good at all.

By: Solly and Chandre