Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
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The book foregrounds “the experiences, the ideas and the reflections of people who were actual participants in 1976, both leading figures but also young people who, on the morning of June 16th, did not see themselves as political activists,” says the author. Photo: Historical Papers Research Archive, University of the Witwatersrand South Africa.
SOUTH AFRICA

The uprising they turned into a party: What Youth Day keeps getting wrong

Every June 16th, South Africa celebrates Youth Day with music and speeches, often reposting the iconic image of Hector Pieterson. But historian Noor Nieftagodien argues these…

  • Kibo Ngowi
8 min read
Clean sweep needed: The country is led by ageing political figures who have not had an original idea in years. SA History Archive
JUNE 16

Meaning of June 16 lost

The June 16 anniversary, commemorating the Soweto Uprising, has lost its significance, becoming a mere formality rather than a period of reflection and recommitment to the ideals…

  • Peter Vundla
3 min read
Dying to learn: Several student leaders, such as Mthuli ka Shezi in 1972, were murdered under suspicious circumstances. The bizarre possibility of being killed because you wanted to go to school and be educated was palpable in those years. Photos: Azapo
SOWETO UPRISING

A generation pushed against the wall

The 1976 Soweto Uprising, sparked by protests against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, was a pivotal moment rooted in a long history of resistance. This article explores the…

  • Jaki Seroke
4 min read