Image Source: African Union
Local – “It is time for us to look at ourselves and within ourselves. We cannot continue to look at who is saying what about Africa, but what is Africa saying about itself,” said Swazi Lives Matter convener Qhawekazi Khumalo, reflecting on the purpose behind the upcoming Africa Day Solidarity Walk.
Scheduled for 24 May in Johannesburg, the Africa Day Solidarity Walk is set to be more than just a march. It is a continental call to introspection, unity, and revolutionary action.
Organised by movements such as Swazi Lives Matter, the walk will begin at Mary Fitzgerald Square and proceed through Braamfontein to Constitutional Hill. It will unite activists, students, workers, trade unions, and justice seekers in a show of collective resistance and hope.
The walk highlights a range of crises across the continent, dictatorship, elite corruption, stolen elections, foreign plunder, and deep-rooted economic injustice. It also extends a strong message of solidarity with Palestine, linking Africa’s struggles for freedom to global movements against oppression.
“This is what the Africa Day Solidarity Walk is really about. It is about us uniting ourselves as Africans. It is about us standing in solidarity with the current struggles that we are facing. Because yes, we are very proud that we’ve been able to overcome many battles.”
“We’ve been able to overcome colonialism, dictatorship, and apartheid regimes in Africa. Our ancestors have been able to build a free Africa for us in terms of those battles that I’ve just outlined. However, we do know that the struggle has to continue in Africa,” said Khumalo.
She described the event as a critical step toward reshaping the continent’s future. While recognising that political power has changed hands since the end of colonial and apartheid rule, she argued that these shifts have not meaningfully improved the lives of most Africans.
The walk also aims to spark more profound reflection on the leadership challenges and structural inequalities that continue to limit Africa’s progress.
“The economic injustices in this continent speak true to the fact that it is one of the poorest continents, yet it has the richest sources. And that injustice can only be stopped if Africans themselves stand up and say, no enough is enough,” Khumalo stated.
In addition to the march, the programme will include panel discussions, solidarity messages, advocacy for Palestine, and a collective conversation about Africa’s future. These sessions are intended to explore practical, people-driven solutions to urgent issues like economic transformation, youth unemployment, and dismantling regimes such as the monarchy in Swaziland.
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Young Voices at the Forefront of Change
Youth involvement is central to the initiative. University students, including UJ and Wits, will participate, highlighting the belief that change must come from the current generation, not just future ones.
“I think the approach that we must give in terms of young people is really to say to them that they are not the future, they are the current, they are the current generation, and they need to come to the forefront and build the future generation,” said Khumalo.
She said the Africa Day Solidarity Walk is not just a one-day event. It marks the beginning of a sustained movement. It aims to create a lasting platform for individuals and organisations across Africa to unite in pursuit of justice, dignity, and genuine self-determination.
