Mnotho!?
“Mnotho!?” is a two-part visual commentary by Wandile Hlosokuhle Ndlovu, commissioned by TACS (The Arts Company Soweto) in partnership with Constitution Hill, the City of Johannesburg, and African Bank — all of whom are proud collectors of the works. Created under the theme "Reimagining the Next 30 Years of South Africa," the series draws inspiration from the legacy of the 1976 youth uprising, reinterpreting it through the lens of today’s economic realities.
The first piece, “uMnotho Ongenaqiniso”, confronts the illusion of economic freedom in South Africa. It speaks to the betrayal of the country’s youth by an economy that continues to fail them — a collapsing job market, soaring unemployment, and the long shadow of the pandemic have turned dreams of prosperity into a daily battle for survival.
In contrast, “LoMnotho Owethu” carries the fire of 1976 into the present. It acknowledges that while the youth of ’76 fought against an unjust education system, today's youth face a different war — a fight against financial exclusion and economic inequality. But it is also a work of defiance and vision. It declares that this generation is not waiting to be included; they are claiming their place, reimagining the economy as something built with them and for them. This is not just survival—it’s resistance.
Together, the artworks ask urgent questions about ownership, access, and legacy: Whose economy is it really? And what must be done to make it ours?
uMnotho Ongenaqiniso
Mixed Medium. Lino-cut, Charcoal, and Acrylic
R 6000 (unframed)
700 x 50o mm
Limited Edition (1/6)
“uMnotho Ongenaqiniso” speaks to the betrayal of South Africa’s youth by an economy that continues to fail them. It reflects a generation caught in the grips of a collapsing job market, soaring unemployment rates, and the lasting impact of the 2020 pandemic and recession. A large part of the youth is excluded from this economy—what was meant to be a foundation for growth has become a landscape of survival. The artwork is a visual protest and a cry for survival.
LoMnotho
Owethu
Mixed Medium. Lino-cut, Charcoal, and Oil Pastels.
R 8000 (unframed)
700 x 1000 mm
Limited Edition (1/6)
“LoMnotho Owethu” speaks to the resilient spirit of South Africa’s youth who, despite relentless economic pressures, they continue to resist and rebuild. we carry the fire of 1976. The courage, resilience, and vision of a generation that fought for freedom. Where the old struggle was against apartheid, today’s battle is against exclusion and unemployment. The youth of 2025 are not just surviving; they are pushing back and breaking through the walls that confine them. This artwork is a declaration: the economy will no longer exist without us. This is our economy. LoMnotho owethu.