On June 16th millions across the world every year turn their attention
to South Africa to mark the anniversary of a dark
period in South African history for it was a week, beginning on
June 16th 1976, when hundreds died and thousands more were injured
in protest at the apartheid administration in South Africa. On that morning of
16th June, an estimated 20,000 Soweto students attended what was
intended to have been a peaceful rally objecting to having to
learn at school using Afrikaans, a rally which had the support of many teachers many of who had been
fired and others resigned in protest at the directive, long forgotten but then
suddenly reinforced that secondary education must be conducted in Afrikaans ~ a
language few teachers could even speak let alone teach in.
The students started to refuse to take papers in Afrikaans which they saw as the
language of their oppressors and a wave of school expulsions followed, yet more
schools followed suit and were simply shut down by the government. When the
rally started armed police were in attendance keeping a close eye for any signs
of trouble.
As with so many tense situations, it took just one moment for the gathering of
thousands to turn from its peaceful intent into a bloody massacre and that
moment occurred after some of the students started throwing stones at the
police, and one officer retaliated, with a gun. Without warning many of the
police started shooting children dead resulting in a wave of violent panic
driven fury leading the police to withdraw whilst the students destroyed
government buildings.
In the ensuing chaos emergency clinics overflowed with injured, bloodied and
dying children. The riots then spread to other impoverished South African
townships and the government reacted with brutal force with thousands of police
being deployed the following day, with army back-up if required, to reimpose
order. Whilst the riot was quelled with reports of upwards of over five hundred
fatalities with over a thousand men, women and children being injured, the riot
marked the serious birth of the ANC as a leader in the liberation struggle
against white supremacy and the beginnings of the end of the then South African
government. A line had been crossed and there was no going back.
16th June is now marked as Day of the African Child to remember the children who
died on that fateful day. The day is also used to remind world leaders,
particularly those of the G8, of the millions of children who die from
malnutrition before their fifth birthday every year in Africa alone. Put June 16th in your diary and each year remember.
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