ZANEL HAKKESTEEG
STUDENT NUMBER:63075792
15 MARCH 2023
SAE3701 ASSIGNMENT 02
, –
The Soweto uprising happened on June 16th, 1976. It was a protest
against introducing Afrikaans as a medium in black schools all over
South-Africa. It was estimated that around 20,000 students took part in
this protest against the movement. Black South African high school
students in Soweto protested the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974,
which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in equal
terms as languages of instruction. The association of Afrikaans
with apartheid prompted black South Africans to prefer English. Tsietsi
Mashinini led students from Morris Isaacson High School to join up with
others who walked from Naledi High School. The students began the
march, only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their
intended route. The leader of the action committee asked the crowd not
to provoke the police, and the march continued on another route and
eventually ended up near Orlando High School. The crowd of between
3,000 and 10,000 students made its way towards the area of the school.
Students sang and waved placards with slogans such as, "Down with
Afrikaans", "Viva Azania" and "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must
do Zulu".
During these times people of colour in South-Africa was treated very
unfairly and I think it was very important for something to be done. The
black youth of South-Africa during those times led a very good example
by doing what they did. These students were very brave and they fought
for their political rights against the South-African government. As a
young person living in South-Africa it had to take a lot of positive mindset
to achieve great things like they did. I think as people who live in post-
Apartheid times it is very important for us to also learn how to be brave
and to stand up for things that we don’t believe in. These young students
learned how to work together in a group and they taught other young
people how to form part of a group and that group work will always have
a bigger impact when you want something to change. The 1976 Soweto
Uprisings serve as a great example of the critical role young people have
historically played in challenging the harsh and unjust conditions facing
them and bringing about a democratic dispensation in South Africa. On 16
STUDENT NUMBER:63075792
15 MARCH 2023
SAE3701 ASSIGNMENT 02
, –
The Soweto uprising happened on June 16th, 1976. It was a protest
against introducing Afrikaans as a medium in black schools all over
South-Africa. It was estimated that around 20,000 students took part in
this protest against the movement. Black South African high school
students in Soweto protested the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974,
which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in equal
terms as languages of instruction. The association of Afrikaans
with apartheid prompted black South Africans to prefer English. Tsietsi
Mashinini led students from Morris Isaacson High School to join up with
others who walked from Naledi High School. The students began the
march, only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their
intended route. The leader of the action committee asked the crowd not
to provoke the police, and the march continued on another route and
eventually ended up near Orlando High School. The crowd of between
3,000 and 10,000 students made its way towards the area of the school.
Students sang and waved placards with slogans such as, "Down with
Afrikaans", "Viva Azania" and "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must
do Zulu".
During these times people of colour in South-Africa was treated very
unfairly and I think it was very important for something to be done. The
black youth of South-Africa during those times led a very good example
by doing what they did. These students were very brave and they fought
for their political rights against the South-African government. As a
young person living in South-Africa it had to take a lot of positive mindset
to achieve great things like they did. I think as people who live in post-
Apartheid times it is very important for us to also learn how to be brave
and to stand up for things that we don’t believe in. These young students
learned how to work together in a group and they taught other young
people how to form part of a group and that group work will always have
a bigger impact when you want something to change. The 1976 Soweto
Uprisings serve as a great example of the critical role young people have
historically played in challenging the harsh and unjust conditions facing
them and bringing about a democratic dispensation in South Africa. On 16
