Read on to learn more about Youth Day in South Africa, the riots, and their consequences.
You will also learn what happened after the protests and how South Africans celebrate Youth Day.
What happened on Youth Day South Africa?
Many Black children lost their lives in the 1976 Soweto Uprising demonstrations. Photo: pexels.com, @fauxels (modified by author)Source: UGC
On June 16, 1976, highschoolstudents began protestsagainst Afrikaans becoming the medium of instruction in local schools.
The law ended missionary schooling for African children and codified segregated schools.
Furthermore, it supported a racist curriculum that molded Black children into manual laborers to serve the ruling class.
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Africans did not take it kindly because they considered Afrikaans as the “oppressor’s language.”
The determined students defied the police’s orders.
Chaos erupted when the police unleashed a dog and fired tear gas at the protestors.
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The dog died in the riots as students scattered in all directions.
The police began firing gunshots at the crowd amid the confusion.
Photographer Sam Nzima ofThe Worldnewspaper captured Mbuyisa and Hector’s sister carrying the body.
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The image evoked sadness in millions of souls worldwide.
The Soweto Uprising’s consequences
The 1976 Soweto Uprising riots plunged the entire country into violence.
Business tycoons affected by the demonstrations forced the government to ban liberation movements.
Photographer Sam Nzima captured Mbuyisa and Hector’s sister carrying the 12-year-old’s body. Photo: @sowetolife, @kokkieh (modified by author)Source: UGC
These political organizations established secret Black military camps in Botswana, Swaziland, Angola, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
The activists later got international support that pressured the colonial government to drop racist laws.
How is Youth Day celebrated in South Africa today?
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South Africans celebrate Youth Day in many ways.
Most families and friends celebrate from home, at places of worship, or atentertainment joints.
Although Mzansi celebrates this day, it is not a public holiday in this country.
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SA has a special annual June 16 Youth Day holiday, which is significant for the country’s independence.
Youth Day is a commemoration of the youth who suffered during the apartheid regime.
South Africansreflect on the massacreof Black school children during the Soweto Uprising riots of 1976.
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Why is Youth Day important?
Is Youth Day a public holiday?
June 16 is a public holiday in South Africa, and it is named Youth Day.
Most families and friends celebrate from home, at places of worship, or at entertainment joints. Photo: pexels.com, @PNW Production, @August de Richelieu (modified by author)Source: UGC
Why do people celebrate World Youth Day?
The August 2 International Youth Day draws attention to a set of cultural and legal issues affecting youth worldwide.
When was Youth Day first celebrated?
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What are some inspiring Youth Day quotes?
Build a non-racial society and support young adults because the country needs these change agents.
Briefly.co.za shared theSouth African school calendar.
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The Department of Basic Education shares an updated academic calendar annually.
The calendar includes school opening and closing days and school holidays.
The academic calendars of public and private schools differ slightly.
She has a Bachelor of Commerce & IT from the University of Nairobi and joined Briefly.co.za in November 2019.
The writer completed a Google News Initiate Course.
you might email her at perisrodah254@gmail.com.
