What happened on the 16th of June in South Africa?
Youth Day, as it is popularly known, is a day in which South Africans honour the youth that was ambushed by the apartheid regime police in Soweto on 16 June 1976. On the day, over 500 young people, including school students, were killed.
What was the main cause of the protest in 16 June 1976?
High school student-led protests in South Africa began on the morning of June 16, 1976 in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. Known as the Soweto uprising, an estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests.
What happened on the 16 June 1976 in Soweto?
On 16 June 1976, an estimated 20,000 children from schools in the township of Soweto in Johannesburg, took to the streets to protest the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in local schools. Afrikaans was seen by many as the language of the oppressor.
What was the impact of 16 June 1976?
16 June 1976 was a major turning point in South African history. The protests by Soweto school children on that day marked the end of submissiveness on the part of the black population of South Africa and the beginning of a new militancy in the struggle against apartheid. South Africa would never be the same again.
What were the two main reasons for the Soweto uprising?
… massive uprising known as the Soweto Rebellion, which began as a protest against the government’s insistence that the Afrikaans language be used as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s high schools. Years of violence and repression followed.
How many students were killed in the Soweto Uprising?
The government’s proposed plan was to compel students to take half of their content subjects like Biology and Mathematics in Afrikaans and the other half in English. Students vehemently refused to be taught in Afrikaans. In just 10 days of rioting, the official death toll was 174 Blacks and two Whites.
Why is June 16th so important?
This year marks the 46th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 student uprising in Soweto when young people protested against imposition of Afrikaans by the apartheid regime as a medium of instruction. The uprising ended tragically with hundreds of young people being brutally killed.
Was the Soweto uprising successful?
Most of the bloodshed had abated by the end of 1976, when the death toll had stood at more than 600. The continued clashes in Soweto caused economic instability. The South African rand devalued fast, and the government was plunged into a crisis.
How many students were killed in the Soweto uprising?
They were met with fierce police brutality and many were shot and killed. The number of pupils killed in the uprising is usually estimated as 176, but some sources estimate as many as 700 fatalities. In remembrance of these events, 16 June is now a public holiday in South Africa, named Youth Day.
Who started the Soweto uprising for kids?
It began as a march by black schoolchildren. The students were unhappy because schools in the townships of Soweto were forced to use the Afrikaans language for teaching certain subjects. Their protest turned into a rebellion that spread to other parts of the country.
Was the Soweto Uprising successful?
What is the theme for Youth Day 2022?
The theme of International Youth Day for the year 2022 is “intergenerational solidarity: creating a world for all ages”. This year’s theme intends to spread the message that every generation needs to take action to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs) by the year 2030.
Who was responsible for Soweto uprising?
The June 16 1976 Uprising that began in Soweto and spread countrywide profoundly changed the socio-political landscape in South Africa. Events that triggered the uprising can be traced back to policies of the Apartheid government that resulted in the introduction of the Bantu Education Act in 1953.
How long did the Soweto uprising last?
| Soweto uprising | |
|---|---|
| Location | Soweto, South Africa |
| Date | 16–18 June 1976 |
| Deaths | Minimum of 176 with some estimates ranging up to 700 |
| Injured | 1,000+ |
What is the purpose of June 16?
Youth Day South Africa happens every year on June 16. Why do South Africans celebrate Youth Day? This public holiday is an honour to Mzansi’s young people who opposed the apartheid regime and helped our country, South Africa attain independence.
What is the purpose of Youth Day?
Youth Day commemorates the Soweto youth uprising of 16 June 1976. In 1975 protests started in African schools after a directive from the then Bantu Education Department that Afrikaans had to be used on an equal basis with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools.
How many died in Soweto uprising?
effect on African National Congress party
…of the 1970s, following the Soweto uprising in 1976, when the police and army killed more than 600 people, many of them children.
Who led the 1976 Soweto uprising?
Nonetheless the march that was planned by the Action Committee of the Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC) was well organised and was to be conducted in a peaceful way. The leaders of the original march, mainly came from two high schools, Naledi High in Naledi and Morris Isaacson in Mofolo.
What was the conclusion of Soweto Uprising?
It even caused a world-wide boycott of South African produce. This historical event was known as the Soweto Uprising. The students were protesting against the South African apartheid administration. They ended up being the most violent riots that the administration had ever experienced.
What is a theme for youth Month 2022?
The South African government announced the 2022 theme of “Promoting sustainable livelihood and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”.
What causes Soweto uprising?
massive uprising known as the Soweto Rebellion, which began as a protest against the government’s insistence that the Afrikaans language be used as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s high schools.