On June 16, 1976, thousands of students in Soweto took to the streets to demonstrate against Bantu Education and the imposition of Afrikaans in their schools.
Fifty years after the June 16, 1976 Soweto uprising, its legacy still resonates across South Africa, particularly in the Western Cape, where communities continue to stage solidarity protests against apartheid.
June is observed annually as Youth Month, with June 16 commemorated as National Youth Day in honour of the role young people played in the liberation struggle. This year marks the Golden Jubilee of the Soweto uprising under the theme: “Reset@50 – The Future Calls”.
Archival pictures of protest at the University of Cape Town sparked in the wake of the June 1976 Soweto uprisings. Date of the photo is unknown.
Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities spokesperson Cassius Selala said the commemoration aims to honour the legacy of the 1976 uprising while empowering a new generation of young people.
