A photo of Soweto where the protests began before they spread in other parts of the country. Photo released under Creative Commons by Flickr user Michael Denne.
The hashtags #Iam76 and #June16 trended in South Africa this week as many South Africans remembered the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976.
The iconic image by South African photojournalist Sam Nzima of Antoinette Sithole and Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying 12-year-old Hector Pieterson after he was shot by South African police.
On that day, high school students in Soweto began protesting against the introduction of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in local schools as part of the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974.
The number of those who died from live bullets from the apartheid government police is estimated to be up to 700.
The uprising and the killing of students led to strikes by black workers and riots in other black townships in South Africa and ignited calls for tougher international sanctions.
Taking to Twitter to remember the day, Levi Kabwato, a Zimbabwean activist based in South Africa, shared a poem written by Zimbabwean author Dambudzo Marechera about the uprising:
Their crime was: They Dared to bare the lethal bullet This undying testament of the oppressed! – Dambudzo Marechera. #Iam76 #YouthDay
— Levi Kabwato (@LeviKabwato) June 16, 2015
Advocating for youth empowerment, Ndzavi Derrick advised:
Instead of creating Youth Ministry that is babbyseated by Presidency, it must be autonomous, championed by youth for youth challenges #Iam76
— Ndzavi Derrick CBA® (@NdzaviD) June 16, 2015
Youth of 76 fought for liberation. TODAY Youth fight for service delivery and strive to put food on the table, it should not be so #Iam76
— Ndzavi Derrick CBA® (@NdzaviD) June 16, 2015
On the same subject of youth empowerment, Qhuba Gumbi-Dlamini wrote:
@SakinaKamwendo As SA marks the 39th anniv of Soweto uprising, let's allow our youth to formulate policies that will enable them to prosper
— Qhuba Gumbi-Dlamini (@QhubaD) June 16, 2015
Zenaida Machado shared a cartoon showing the difference between ‘selfless generation’ of the 1970s and today's ‘selfie generation':
Cartoonists compares the selfless youth of 1976 with the selfie generation of today. #IAm76 pic.twitter.com/SUB1X6MjIS
— zenaida machado (@zenaidamz) June 16, 2015
South Africans should not forget the cost of their freedom, wrote Alex Jay:
16/6/1976 Soweto Uprising: 176 people died, over a thousand were injured. Celebrate our freedom but never forget the cost. #SAYouth2015
— Alex Jay (@AlexJayZA) June 16, 2015
