Why june 16

Edition: Available editions Global Perspectives. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Black consciousness in South Africa changed blacks and whites. Raymond Louw will be remembered as a man of unbending principle. Jun 1, History and Politics. Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising , which took place on 16 June , where thousands of students were ambushed by the apartheid regime. On Youth Day, South Africans pay tribute to the lives of these students and recognises the role of the youth in the liberation of South Africa from the apartheid regime.

Prior to this, most black children only had access to schools run by missions that were understaffed and poorly attended. It featured separate Black schools and universities, poor facilities, overcrowded classrooms and inadequately trained teachers, resulting in a lack of quality education for black children.

This African role was one of the worker, labourer and servant only. In January of , the government mandated that all school subjects be taught in Afrikaans. The Afrikaner -dominated government recognised only English and Afrikaans as official languages, and all indigenous languages were banned. The decision caused an uproar amongst parents, teachers and students, so on the morning of June 16 , year-old Antoinette Sithole and an estimated 20, students from Soweto and the surrounding secondary and high schools, planned to peacefully protest Afrikaans as the primary teaching language in schools.

Teachers and parents joined the march after the SSRC emphasised peaceful action. The students began the march to Orlando Stadium, only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their intended route. The leader of the SSRC asked the crowd not to provoke the police, and the march continued on another route.

The police responded to the protest by firing teargas and later live ammunition on demonstrating students. The photograph was published across the globe and Pieterson came to symbolise the uprising, giving the world a shocking glimpse into the sheer brutality of apartheid. At least Black students, many of them children, including Hector Pieterson, lost their lives on 16 June The uprising resulted in a widespread revolt that spread across the country and carried on until the following year.

The aftermath of June 16, , had severe consequences for the Apartheid government. Pictures of the police firing on peacefully demonstrating students led to an international uproar against South Africa and its Apartheid system. In , the newly-elected democratic government declared that June 16 would be Youth Day — to serve as a reminder of the progress our country has made regarding equality and equal opportunity for all youth and to honor the youth who lost their lives during the Soweto Uprising.

It is now a National Holiday in South Africa. Soweto has come a long way since the uprising of The name Soweto is an abbreviation for South Western Townships. The township itself was built around the informal settlements of the first mine workers who came to the area during the gold rush of the lates.

It has become popular with travellers from around the world who come to visit Vilakazi Street , which is one of the stops on the Johannesburg Political and Historical Tour.

This famous street was home to two Nobel peace prize winners; Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the late former president Nelson Mandela. We cannot shy away from the fact that COVID robbed us of the opportunity to host events to commemorate Youth Day, nonetheless this day remains iconic. This includes the establishment of a National Pathway Management Network, SA Youth, to make it easier for young people to view and access opportunities and receive active support to find pathways into the labour market.

He further said that South Africa is going through the most difficult of times, but the government are working daily to expand the frontiers of hope. Subscribe to our Newsletter:. Jun 16, Nkanyiso Mhlangu. No Comments. Photo Credit: Google Images.