How many died in Soweto uprising?
Over 176 people were killed that day. Protests quickly spread to townships all over the country. The image of 13 year old Hector Pieterson, who was the first child shot dead by apartheid police during the Soweto uprising, has become an iconic image.
Who was the first person to die in the Soweto uprising?
The official death toll was 23, but it could have been higher than 200 because the incident triggered widespread violence throughout South Africa, which claimed more lives. The first student to be shot on that fateful day was 15-year old Hastings Ndlovu.
What was the main cause of Soweto uprising in 1976?
High school student-led protests in South Africa began on the morning of June 16, 1976 in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. The police fired teargas and live ammunition on demonstrating students.
What was the name of the schoolboy killed in the Soweto uprising of 1976?
Zolile Hector Pieterson
Zolile Hector Pieterson (19 August 1963 – 16 June 1976) was a South African schoolboy who was shot and killed at the age of twelve during the Soweto uprising, when the police opened fire on black students protesting the enforcement of teaching in Afrikaans, mostly spoken by the white and coloured population in South …
What was the global reaction to the Soweto uprising?
What was the authority’s reaction to the Soweto Uprising? – initially surprised by the strength of the initial demonstrations in Soweto they responded with brutality, firing at children, killing as many as 20.
How the Soweto uprising of 1976 marked the beginning of the end of the apartheid in South Africa?
For many South Africans looking back on the events of 16 June 1976, when police brutally attacked thousands of protesting school children, the day marked the beginning of the end of the apartheid system. The uprising began as students came together against a decree that all pupils must learn Afrikaans in school.
How many students were killed in the Soweto Uprising?
It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests. They were met with fierce police brutality and many were shot and killed….
| Soweto uprising | |
|---|---|
| Date | 16–18 June 1976 |
| Deaths | Minimum of 176 with some estimates ranging up to 700 |
| Injured | 4,000 |
| Victims | Students |
Is Hector Pieterson still alive?
Deceased (1964–1976)
Hector Pieterson/Living or Deceased
What happened during the Soweto uprising of 1976?
The Soweto uprising was a series of demonstrations and protests led by black school children in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976. It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests. They were met with fierce police brutality and many were shot and killed.
How is the Soweto uprising remembered?
In 1996, further projects of the memorial of June 16 were in the form of an exhibition of black and white photograph to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Soweto uprising. In 2002, Hector Pieterson Memorial and museum was opened in Soweto, close to where Hector Pieterson was shot and killed on the 16 June 1976.
How did Steve Biko influence the Soweto uprising?
He saw the power that could come from organizing as blacks. Black Consciousness spread widely among youth and was a major spark igniting the 1976 Soweto uprising and leading to a resurgence in the national freedom movement.
Where was Hector Pieterson buried?
Avalon Cemetery, Soweto, South Africa
Hector Pieterson/Place of burial
What was the year of the Soweto uprising?
June 16 1976, this is the year of our late heroes and heroines of 1976. Who fought for freedom we have today. Freedom that youth of today have. And the right to use mother language as the first language. I will always respect and commemorate every 16 June. The important day for every youth to commemorate.
What did the Soweto Students do in 1976?
Students formed an Action Committee, later known as the Soweto Students’ Representative Council, which organised a mass rally for 16 June to make themselves heard. On the morning of 16 June 1976, between 10,000 and 20,000 black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest having to learn in Afrikaans in school.
How did Hector Pieterson die in the Soweto uprising?
Hector Pieterson being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo after being shot by the South African police. His sister, Antoinette Sithole, runs beside them. Pieterson was rushed to a local clinic and declared dead on arrival.
What was the name of the movie about the Soweto riots?
The Soweto riots were depicted in the 1987 film by the director Richard Attenborough, Cry Freedom and in the 1992 musical film Sarafina! and the musical production of the same name by Mbongeni Ngema. The riots also inspired the novel A Dry White Season by Andre Brink and a 1989 movie of the same title.