AmaZulu FC joined the KZN Department of Education at Ohlange High School in Inanda, north of Durban where an exciting Social Cohesion program was launched on Thursday.
The program was launched through Sports, Arts and a Cultural Festival to foster unity and social cohesion, especially among African and Indian communities in Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal.
KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu led the official launch in Inanda, north of Durban and he explained that young people must be at the centre of social cohesion in the province.
“We are launching this programme during Youth Month because we realise that if we are to realise social cohesion, young people must be at the centre of every programme in this regard,” Mshengu said.
There was unrest in Phoenix in July last year which led to the massive destruction of infrastructure and the erosion of many of the gains of the economy over recent years.
Twenty trucks being set alight, later ignited a series of other events such as looting and the murder of innocent people according to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government.
“For us to really build true social cohesion and non-racialism, we have to first acknowledge the facts as they happened,” Mshengu said.
“For me, it was a massacre of African people and what is important is for us to move forward to make sure what happened never happens again.”
“In our schools we have young people who, unlike us, our parents and grandparents, are sort of insulated from racial attitudes unless obviously they are indoctrinated by their parents,” he added.
“These are young people we can use to build a South Africa where there is peaceful co-existence and racial diversity is used as a strength.”