Gomora's Sanah Mchunu Questions 'What Kind of Society' After Spring Day Elder Disrespect
- Sanah Mchunu shared an image of a soaked elderly man on his bicycle after Spring Day celebrations turned hostile towards older people
- The Gomora actress questioned how youth could disrespect elders outside while leaving their own parents at home in peace
- Mzansi flooded her comments section with frustration, pointing fingers at modern parenting and a breakdown of societal values
- Briefly News spoke to teacher Unathi Masombuka, who shared her perspective on the growing challenges teachers face when disciplining teenagers, the role of parents and the influence of social media on learners’ behaviour
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Source: Instagram
‘Gomora’ actress Sanah Mchunu has broken her silence on the shocking behaviour witnessed during Spring Day celebrations on 1 September, questioning whether South African society has failed its youth. Her Instagram post, which featured an image of a drenched elderly man on his bicycle, struck a nerve across the country.
The award-winning actress, known for her role on the popular SABC1 drama, shared the image alongside a heartfelt caption that laid bare her frustration. She wrote:
"I've seen all the pictures and videos. 💔 What kind of a society are we raising? The sad part is, you leave your own parents at home, and you go and disrespect others outside. What's wrong with these kids?"
Sanah calls out moral collapse
Her post came in the wake of multiple viral videos showing young people targeting unsuspecting adults during Spring Day water fights, including incidents where car doors were yanked open, and buckets of water were thrown onto elderly pedestrians and commuters who had no desire to participate.
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Sanah Mchunu did not hold back, pointing out the painful contradiction of youth reserving their respect for their own households while unleashing hostility on vulnerable strangers outside. For her, the images were not just disturbing; they reflected something much deeper about how children are being raised today.
Mzansi reacts to Sanah's post
The comments section quickly filled with voices echoing her sentiment, and the responses painted a picture of widespread disillusionment.
Nomusa_8909 agreed:
"Exactly, no parent was out there to stop all that nonsense."
Namgale_gates wrote:
"These kids are intentionally humiliating abantu abadala by assaulting them all in the name of 'Spring Day'. We need to do better as parents. This is a reflection of households that are raising these hooligans. SIES! 😢"
M_hloti blamed a shift in parenting philosophy:
"The problem started when millennial parents started thinking our parents did an awful job in how they trained and raised us. They thought they could do a better job with gentle parenting and a lack of consequences."
Becoming_sylviatswai put it bluntly:
"Clearly this is not what it used to be because we had parents who actually PARENTED! Unlike us who are having kids just for vibes and cute posts... Anything but parenting."
Ngakanedipuo added:
"Spring day used to be so fun growing up; we played among our peers and would stop when an elder passed by…Kodwa manje it's been turned into a dangerous game. 😢"
Cynthianeha offered a broader reflection:
"It takes a village to groom a child. We have driven our children away from their roots, discipline and so on."
Teacher Masombuka told Briefly News that, based on her personal experience, changes in education policies have made discipline more challenging for teachers, with some learners becoming less respectful of rules and authority.
“Teenagers have definitely become more difficult to discipline, and I believe it is because of the way in which the educational policies put the learners first. Many disciplinary measures have been removed from the classroom and, in a way, allowing the learner to be more unruly and indifferent to rules and authority. The learners’ rights have gotten bigger than their responsibility.”
She also said that learners’ behaviour at school can often reflect what happens at home, while some parents may unintentionally make matters worse by defending their children when they misbehave.
“In most cases, the behaviour that learners display at school is a direct reflection of the behavioural patterns at home. However, it cannot be dismissed that some teenagers are only unruly at school and complete angels at home. What I have personally noticed is the rise of parents who are, for lack of a better word, ‘enablers’ of their children’s behaviour. These are parents who defend their children’s wrongdoings, parents who question and challenge the disciplinary methods that a school uses regarding their child.”
Masombuka added that social media has also contributed to teenagers copying behaviour they see online, particularly when they want to fit in or appear trendy.
“Social media has an undeniable impact on teenagers. They often want to mimic the behaviour they see from online platforms so as to keep up with trends, stay relevant or be considered cool. When it comes to the issue of teenagers deliberately pouring water on adults during Spring Day, those teenagers know exactly what they are doing, and they know that their behaviour will be excused for them being ‘just children.’”
Sizwe Dhlomo condemned Spring Day behaviour
Sizwe Dhlomo called out reckless Spring Day behaviour in Johannesburg after videos of youth ambushing motorists went viral on 1 September.
Clips circulating online showed groups of young people surrounding vehicles, flinging buckets of water at drivers and public transport passengers.
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Source: Briefly News
