Remembering,written for you by me.
by: Graciela Martinez Gonzalez
It is said that 16 June 1976 was the day that changed the course of South Africa's history. I was a child, I was not here, what I know is what has been published, what I had read and I am writing this to share with you my ideas; let me know what you know and what you think.
As any other June, the morning was cold and still dark when the pupils gathered at schools across Soweto, then they all moved together to Orlando West Secondary School in Vilakazi Street, with thousands streaming in from all directions.
They had planned to march from the school to the Orlando Stadium, a peaceful youth march to let the government know about their demands, once at the stadium, the plan was to agree on a list of grievances, and then possibly to march to the offices of the Transvaal department of education in Booysens, in Johannesburg's southern suburbs.
Learners and teachers were opposed to the introduction of inferior and racist education. The new system was seen as a government strategy to groom black people for menial or semi-skilled labour but I am sure that the education system was not the only cause of the uprisings. There was also a growing frustration with Apartheid.
They were over 5000 students and more and more were joining them every minute, they were young, fresh, brave and decided to raise their voices, the only weapon they had was the candid and tender spirit of the youth, they were between the ages of 10 and 20 years and over 15 000 uniformed students.
They could not understand what was happening, police formed a wall facing the pupils, warning them to disperse, they did not do it, teargas was fired into the crowd and police dogs released. In the chaos, children ran back and forth, throwing stones at the police - who fired more teargas.
They did not know what to do or where to run, they were young and brave, they were running up and down like it was some kind of game, they were running away, coming back, taking stones, throwing them at the police , running away and coming back,the police threw canisters of tear gas again but they continued singing and waving placards with slogans like “Downh Afrikaans”, “Viva Azania” and “If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu”.
They were thousands of black schoolchildren protesting against the compulsory use of Afrikaans in their schools. As tensions rose, more security police were deployed and youth became a symbol of bravery against armed soldiers.
They were between 10 and 20 years old, but the police shot at them, 12 year old Hector Pieterson fell to the ground, fatally w
ounded, he was the first victim and a picture of his near-lifeless body in the arms of Mbuyisa Makhubo came to symbolize the struggle of the youth of South Africa.Police officers opened fire on school children. Images of fleeing and falling children under the hail of bullets were broadcast across the world, attracting international condemnation of the Apartheid government.
The Soweto uprising began on 16 June 1976 and continued for 3 days. Students targeted apartheid symbols: administrative offices, government buses and vehicles and municipal beer halls, which were first looted and then set alight. By the end of the day thick clouds of black smoke hung over the township, and the streets were littered with upturned vehicles, stones and rocks.
As night fell, the unlit township became even more terrifying: blinded by the night, police simply fired into the blackness. The students returned the fire with their own weapons: bottles and stones.
Most of the victims were under 23, and shot in the back. Many others were left maimed or crippled, they were between the ages of 10 and 20 years, they were young and fresh, their weapons were the truth, the justice, the freedom. The police was afraid, they were terrified, they recognized the strength of those arms, they tried to kill them all, they tried to silence their voices, they could not allow this flame to spread.
The youth had been frustrated and angry for a long time and the riots gave the opportunity to express all the hatred and violence that had been heaping up.
There was a very heavy police presence in Soweto on the 17th. The 1 500 officers that were deployed carried a variety of weapons like automatic rifles, stun guns and carbines with helicopters monitoring the area from the sky. The army was also on standby in case the violence became to great for the police to handle on their own. They were afraid and terrified.
Other South African citizens were also outraged at the government’s actions and about 300 white students from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) marched through Johannesburg’s city centre in protest of the killing of children. Black workers joined them as the campaign progressed.
Student organizations directed the energy and anger of the youth toward political resistance. Students in Tembisa organized a successful and non-violent solidarity march, but in Kagiso matters took a turn for the worst. The police stopped a group of adults and children, forcing them to retreat, and while waiting for reinforcements shot and killed at least 5 people.
The 18th, most of the protests had moved to the East and West Rands, Alexandra Township and the rest of the country. Some residents of Alexandra refused to go to work and also marched in protest. The police killed 4 people while firing on the marchers. In Soweto administrative buildings, wine stores and beer halls, which were hated by the young people, were also set on fire. Buses and cars running through Soweto were burned.
16 June 1976 was the day that changed the course of South Africa's history, they were between 10 and 20 years old, they were frustrated and angry, their weapon was the candid and tender spirit of the youth, the truth, the justice, the freedom, police officers opened fire on school children, they were afraid and terrified, they wanted to kill them all, they tried to silence their voice, they could not allow this flame to spread.
Mandela's call after the Soweto uprising of 1976 was certain and clear, It was published by the ANC on 10 June 1980:
“...That verdict is loud and clear: apartheid has failed. Our people remain unequivocal in its rejection. The young and the old, parent and child, all reject it. At the forefront of this 1976/77 wave of unrest were our students and youth. They come from the universities, high schools and even primary schools. They are a generation whose whole education has been under the diabolical design of the racists to poison the minds and brainwash our children into docile subjects of apartheid rule. But after more than twenty years of Bantu Education the circle is closed and nothing demonstrates the utter bankruptcy of apartheid as the revolt of our youth.
The evils, the cruelty and the inhumanity of apartheid have been there from its inception. And all blacks - Africans, Coloureds and Indians - have opposed it all along the line. What is now unmistakable, what the current wave of unrest has sharply highlighted, is this: that despite all the window-dressing and smooth talk, apartheid has become intolerable.
This awareness reaches over and beyond the particulars of our enslavement. The measure of this truth is the recognition by our people that under apartheid our lives, individually and collectively, count for nothing.
UNITE !
We face an enemy that is deep rooted, an enemy entrenched and determined not to yield. Our march to freedom is long and difficult. But both within and beyond our borders the prospects of victory grow bright......”
