In June 1976, thousands of black students in Soweto, South Africa marched in protest of a law that mandated Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. During the planned peaceful protest, police attempted to disperse the crowd with dogs, tear gas, and gunfire, killing at least 23 people including 12-year-old Hector Pietersen, whose death became a symbol of police brutality. While the students intended non-violent demonstration, clashes ensued with police that left many dead, marking a pivotal moment in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.

1. SOWETO UPRISING OF 1976
INTRODUCTION
IN 1976 JUNE 16, ABOUT THOUSANDS OF BLACK STUDENT WALKED FROM THEIR SPECIFIC SCHOOLS
TO ORLANDO STADIUM TO PROTEST AGAINST THE LAW WHICH WAS INTRODUCED BY THE
GOVERNMENT THAT AFRIKAANS WAS TO BE THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN ALL SOUTH AFRICAN
SCHOOLS. HOWEVER THE PROTEST WAS PLANNED VERY WELL BY THE SOWETO STUDENTS
REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (SSRC). AND IT WAS INTENDED TO BE PEACEFUL THOUGH.

2. DURING THE PROTEST

3. DURING THE PROTEST….. CONTINUED
 THE CROWD BETWEEN 3.000 AND 10.000 OF STUDENTS, MADE THEIR WAY TOWARDS THE AREA OF
SCHOOL.
 HOWEVER THE STUDENTS WERE SINGING AND ALSO WOVE PLACARDS WITH SLOGANS. “ DOWN WITH
AFRIKAANS,” “VIVA AZANIA” AND “IF WE DO AFRIKAANS, VORSTER MUST DO ZULU.”
“THE POLICE TOLD US TO DISPERSE, BUT WEV REFUSED, SAYING THAT ‘NO WE ARE NOT GOING TO LOOT,
WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYHTING WRONG. WE ARE JUST GOING TO MARCH AND DEMONSTRATE AND
SING THEN GO BACK HOME.’ THEY AGAIN SAID THAT WE MUST DISPERSE.”
JON-JON MKHONZA, ABOUT POLICE
INTERVENTIN JUST PRIOR TO THE
POLICE DOGS BEING RELEASED.

4. WHEN THE POLICE DOGS WHERE
RELEASED!!

5. THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOTS BY THE POLICE
 WHEN THE POLICEMAN STARTED TO DO THE FIRE SHOT TO THE CROWD, STUDENTS ALSO STARTED TO
THROW THE STONES ON THE POLICEMEN.
 INFACT THE POLICE TRIED TO MAKE THE CROWD TO BE CALM AS THEY STARTED TO USE THE POLICE
DOGS AND TEAR GAS TO DISPEARSE THE STUDENT.
 UNFORTUNATELY THE METHOD DID NOT WORKED OUT, BECAUSE THE STUDENT ALSO BEATEN THE
POLICE DOGS TO DEATH.

6. TEAR GAS SHOTS
“Police took up positions on the hill above the school and started shooting tear gas. All hell broke lose….”
by Murphy Monroe
“Students began to panic as they were dazed and blinded by tear gas. Students were scattered, running up
and down… Coming back, running… coming back. It was some kind of game, because they were running
away, coming back, taking stones throwing them at the police….it was a chaos. Whenever the police shot
the tear gas, we jumped the wall to the church yard”
by Sibongile Mkhobela

7. TEAR GAS SHOTS PICTURE

8. THE BEGINNING OF THE SHOTS BY THE POLICE PICTURES

9. POLICEMEN SHOT THE STUDENTS TO DEATH
 HASTINGS NDLOVU WAS THE FIRST STUDENT WHO WAS SHOT BY THE POLICEMAN.
 FOLLOWED BY HECTOR PIETERSON WHO WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD, HIS BODY BECAME THE SYMBOL OF
POLICE BRUTALITY.
 FURTHER WHEN THE PROTEST CONTINUED, ABOUT 23 WHERE DIED INCLUDING TWO WHITE PEOPLE
 AMONG THESE PEOPLE THERE WAS DR. MELVILLE EDELSTEIN WHO HAD DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO SOCIAL
WELFARE AMONG THE BLACK POPULATION.
 INDEED HE WAS STONED TO DEATH AND LEFT WITH A SIGN AROUND HIS NECK PROCLAIMING THAT “BE
AWARE OF AFRIKAANERS”.

10. POLICEMEN SHOT THE STUDENTS TO DEATH PICTURES

11. POLICEMEN SHOT THE STUDENTS TO DEATH PICTURES

12. CONCLUSION
THE BLACK STUDENTS OF SOUTH AFRICA WERE TRYING TO FIGHT FOR WHAT WAS GOOD FOR THEM THAT
IS WHY THEY WERE PROTESTING AGAINST THE SYSTEM WHICH WAS GIVEN TO THEM BY THE
GOVERNMENT. IN FACT THE UPRISING HAS LED TO THE DEATH OF MANY STUDENTS. HOWEVER UNTIL
TODAY IN SOUTH AFRICA WE CELEBRATE ON THE 16TH OF JUNE, SINCE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SOUTH
AFRICA AS A NATION.

13. SOURCES FOR THE PICTURES
 Picture on the introduction from: Navy.mil.za
 Slide two: by Kgothatso Mnale
 Slide four: from: mg.co.za
 Slide seven; from: coopersangels.blogspot.com
 Slide eight; from: Listverse.com and Thenewage.co.za
 Slide ten: by Sam Nzima
 Slide eleven: by Sam Nzima

14. REFERENCES
J M. Vrudny
Murphy Monroe
Sibongile Mkhobela
Jon J Mkhonza
Zanele Mashimbye