While student activists who championed the June 16, 1976 Uprising, mounted a formidable countrywide offensive against the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction 50 years ago, the Class of 2026 has committed itself to learning the essential artificial intelligence (AI).
This, as evidence from the Lehohla Ledger, presented in Soweto by revered former SA statistician-general Dr Pali Lehohla, has pointed to a betrayal of the 1976 heroes.
Entitled “Half a Century-Half a Promise”, Lehohla Ledger has described capitalism on autonomous systems as being “at its highest vulgarism during the AI era”.
Lehohla’s latest research has also revealed how capital has siphoned R4.3 trillion since 1996 in raw material yield – driven by legal or administrative shielding, silence and leading to ghost mining towns.
With a significant advantage of making processes more efficient, AI has the ability to rapidly analyse vast amounts of data and recognise patterns that humans could possibly never master - reducing operational costs and freeing up human resources to focus on more creative and strategic tasks.
To mark June Month, pupils from some Soweto schools have broken with the usual tradition of being part of commemorative rallies - and gathered at the Mdelwande Hlongwane Primary School in Pimville to participate in the “AI for Good” programme, thanks to clothing manufacturer Fashion World, which sponsored the event.
Behind the project is Liberation Hub, a non-profit, African-led empowerment organisation and youth accelerator, focused on preparing individuals for success in the 21st century.
Driven by the vision to achieve widespread empowerment and education, the liberation Hub works in collaboration with managing partners Useful Stoop and Usable Solutions for Life - delivering solutions to individuals requiring digital transformation.
According to Liberation Hub co-founder Yazeed Osman, the organisation aims to support grassroots innovation and tech literacy – equipping local communities with future-forward skills, sustainable business strategies and technological fluency.
On Eskom and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and infrastructure, Lehohla has found that privatisation disrupted grids and hollowing out SOE training base.
Lehohla said unscientific outsourcing created “a domestic skills collapse”.
On the state of black education, the study found that 500 000 pupils lost before reaching secondary school, while 250 000 completed matric.
The findings pointed to a collapse in the country’s grants system.
“The grants state fallacy fails local community internal value addition.”
In an interview with the Mail & Guardian, Lehohla described communities as “generous with their information” during research.
“Each time they get counted, they say who they are, where they are, how they live, how they work, how they play and how they suffer.
“The balance of the information, substantively is about how they suffer.
“And they have aggregated that information.
“That information is there.
“What I've done is to aggregate it at community level for them to discuss and converse about the 30 years of their experiences.
“As they do that, they'll find solutions.
“Communities at schools and churches must use this power of their own information,” said Lehohla.
Lehohla’s research has been driven by teachings of Chief Mohlomi - a revered traditional healer, philosopher and traditional leader who served as the primary mentor to Lesotho’s King Moshoeshoe I, the founding father of the Basotho nation.
He said Mohlomi’s teachings and philosophies, fundamentally shaped the diplomatic, compassionate and nation-building strategies that Moshoeshoe later became famous for - “knowing yourself”.
Mohlomi achieved influence through intellect, diplomacy, and generosity rather than violence.
He advised young Moshoeshoe to rule with patience and kindness - teaching him that a true leader should protect his people rather than conquer through bloodshed.
"In his teachings, Mohlomi advocates knowing yourself and the people you lead," Lehohla said.
“Society has provided the data through which they know themselves - how they lead in a positive way. From knowing yourself and who you lead, helps in mobilising stakeholders for productive ends. Society must mobilise themselves as stakeholders for productive ends - not to be exploited.”
Lehohla has described the AI as creating “new instruments of power”.
“These are the new instruments of power that are based on AI, guaranteeing generational value needed by the current generation.
“The new generation must be better than the current generation,” said Lehohla.
On the siphoning of wealthy capital, Lehohla has done country comparative studies.
"In China, there's no siphoning, with all siphoning meant for the benefit of that society," Lehohla continued.
“In the rest of the other eight countries, which include South Africa, United States, Brazil, Indonesia and Nigeria, siphoning of wealth benefits politically-connected individuals. While India is making amends, things are worse in South Africa. Mining and finance are sectors of the economy going together, because the two operate in the same space. They de-invest from manufacturing, with manufacturing, manufacturing having to survive and then face financial drain.
“In the US, financialisation is the biggest siphon. The cross-country comparison of out-in is real.”
Reflecting on his experience of explaining technical concepts to the youth, Lehohla said he did not expect much participation and enthusiasm.
“I was scratching my head all the time, talking to my son and saying, how are we going to get this information in the hands of society?
“Now I'm going to be a teacher - just going to schools and they will participate.
“Once young people and society grasp it; nobody will ever cheat them – something we hand down to the Class of 2026.”
Commenting on youth participation, Osman said it as “amazing to see the knowledge and impact that data already has on these young learners”.
“Sometimes when we look at learners or at the youth, we sometimes forget that these individuals are the ones that are actually driving our future.
“They know technology better than us.
“These are individuals who are going to use technology to solve the problems left over by the unequal society.
“They are going to use the solutions that they can create using AI to resolve those problems today,” Osman said.
On Lehohla’s research and presentation, Osman said it was “quite interesting to see the progression rates of the various nominations in South Africa and how education and the access to education has unfortunately left some behind and advanced others”.
“But seeing how the learners actually took to this and responding to questions when figures were presented by Dr Lehohla, was mind-blowing.
“Looking at the projections, they questioned why did this happen.
“The data is showing us here that the current education that is being delivered in our townships, is not on par with the rest of the education in the country.
“They're asking themselves, why?
“But they are answering the question themselves and saying: ‘today we are going to change that’.
“Education is there so that you can solve the problems.
“I actually like to frame problems as opportunities – uncovering opportunities in your community and providing the solutions,” he added.
Elihle Yakobi, a Grade 7 pupil from Musi High School who wants to study for a BSc degree said: “Dr Lehohla’s presentation has pushed me to learn more about AI and its importance - how to use it in coming up with education statistics affecting various race groups.”