"When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion."
With these powerful words from an Ethiopian proverb, Prof Thuli Madonsela once again wove meaning and unity into the moment - this time at the 4th Annual #Action4Inclusion Social Justice Walk on Youth Day, 16 June 2025. As always, her choice of words reminded us that when we stand together, we can overcome even the most significant challenges in the true spirit of Ubuntu.
This year, about eighty people from Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU), the various communities in town, students, staff and participants from as far as Johannesburg joined the Social Justice Walk. The walk, which links the commemoration of June 16 with #action4Inclusion, a fundraising effort to end student debt as a barrier to graduating from university, is a joint initiative of Visit Stellenbosch and the SU Centre for Social Justice. As usual, participants completed the 13km route to Kylemore, reduced from 16km due to a storm-damaged bridge at Pniel. The walk started from Die Stal at Coetzenburg to Kylemore, past the Old Main Building, the Lückhoff School and via Ida's Valley on the historic Old Helshoogte Pass.
The mission is to connect enthusiastic, diverse participants in supporting students who cannot register for the next academic year due to outstanding fees and graduates who are unable to access their academic records upon graduation.
The walk was co-led by Prof Deresh Ramjugernath, SU's new Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Council Chairperson Dr Nicky Newton-King, Stellenbosch's Executive Mayor, Jeremy Fasser, and the Student Representative Council (SRC) chairperson, Roceshia Februarie, who welcomed everybody, reminding them that no student should be left behind because of debt.
"It's an absolute privilege and pleasure to join you this morning on this walk – a walk that symbolises a journey, not only for our country but also for us at Stellenbosch 肆客足球," said Prof Ramjugernath in his reflection on the legacy of the 1976 Soweto Uprising and the ongoing role of youth activism in shaping a just South African society.
"Today, we walk alongside our students, staff, alumni and community members in meaningful action for inclusion," he said. "The spirit of 16 June reminds us that youth activism remains as vital today as it was 49 years ago. Some may call it resistance – but it's really about activism."
"Our students are challenging us to do better, to build institutions that reflect the values of justice, inclusion, but importantly, of shared humanity. And I think that is critical. So, the walk we undertake today is both symbolic and deeply meaningful. It hopefully reflects our collective commitment to supporting students throughout their academic journeys in higher education. By participating in this initiative, we help remove some of those financial obstacles that they may face, and that may disrupt them on this journey that they are taking."
"While this walk is symbolic of a journey and a purpose, let us walk with a memory of those who came before us. Let us walk forward. Let's walk together towards a future where no student is excluded, no voice is silenced and hopefully, no dream will be deferred," said Prof Ramjugernath during one of the symbolic stops in front of the Old Main Building.
Here, where the impressive installation of SU's Constitution stands tall, Thembatlethu Seyisi, a researcher at the Centre for Social Justice and one of the champions of this walk, read the preamble to our Constitution, followed by the singing of the national anthem – a tradition deeply embedded in this walk.
At the Lückhoff School, participants could each choose a rock with a cutting of a spekboom tied to it, which they carried for the rest of the walk – symbolic of the burden those who were forced to vacate their beloved school in 1969 as a result of the Group Areas Act of 1950 and relocate them to the new Lückhoff School in Ida's Valley, some carrying their benches as they left.
Speaking in front of the historic School building that is now the SU Centre of Social Impact, mayor Fasser reflected on the pain and resilience rooted in the town's past. Once a hub of learning and community, the school's closure under the Group Areas Act left a deep wound in the collective memory of Stellenbosch's previously disadvantaged communities. "It was not just the end of an academic chapter but a wound in the soul of our town," he said. Yet, the message was ultimately one of hope and commitment: "This morning, we affirm that the injustices of the past will not define our future. Stellenbosch is committed to walking a different path – one grounded in equity, inclusion and redress."
From here, the group walked up the Old Helshoogte Road to the Ida's Valley Reserve, where members of the community treated the participants with light refreshments, warm tea and a welcome by community leader Eon Hendrikse, who acknowledged the importance of Youth Day and the role of the community in shaping the future of the youth. A group of youth also participated in creating beaded bracelets for all the participants, with a special message for Youth Day attached.
Towards the highest point of the walk, close to the top of the Old Helshoogte Pass, staff from Visit Stellenbosch endured the sudden rain to treat the participants with roosterkoek and juice, wishing them well on the last stretch of the walk through the Zorgvliet wine estate. Here, at what is called the "slave tree", the participants learned that this was a site where enslaved people were gathered, punished, or displayed during the time of Dutch and British colonial rule in the Cape. The tree is a living witness to the Cape's slavery past, a silent monument to the lives and suffering of the enslaved, and a symbolic touchpoint for truth-telling, healing and reflection in post-apartheid South Africa.
The group finished the walk at the Bethlehem Farm in Kylemore, where Prof Madonsela and Dr Newton-King thanked the participants and presented each with a medal for completing this walk of remembrance.
Drawing from personal experience, Prof Madonsela recalled arriving at university with only a suitcase, relying on the kindness of strangers and the support of fellow students. "It's painful for me as somebody who never had to pay for my education from Grade 11 onwards to see young people denied education by economic deprivation. I feel we have failed young people. Despite working hard and achieving good grades, many students are still locked out of university simply because they can't afford it. As I did, some come here not knowing where they're going to sleep and what they're going to eat - just hoping some grown-up somewhere is going to solve that problem."
Among those she thanked, Prof Madonsela acknowledged Daniella Takis, the young author of Lolla the Spy Dog, for generously donating a portion of her book sales to support #Action4Inclusion.
If you want to donate to this worthy cause, please click this link
Photo credit: Simba Pondani
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