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Youth Day in South Africa: Understanding Our History

Youth Day on 16 June is a public holiday in South Africa and commemorates a protest which resulted in a wave of protests across the country known as the Soweto uprising of 1976.

South Africa (16 June 2018)  – It came in response to multiple issues with the Bantu Education Act and the government edict in 1974 that Afrikaans be used as a medium of instruction for certain subjects in black schools. The iconic picture of Hector Pieterson, a black schoolchild shot by the police, brought home to many people within and outside of South Africa the effect of the struggle during the Apartheid government’s reign.

The Soweto uprising was a series of demonstrations and protests led by black schoolchildren in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976.

Black South African high school students in Soweto protested against the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974, which forced all-black schools to use Afrikaans and English in a 50–50 mix as languages of instruction. The Regional Director of Bantu Education (Northern Transvaal Region), J.G. Erasmus, told Circuit Inspectors and Principals of Schools that from 1 January 1975, Afrikaans had to be used for mathematics, arithmetic, and social studies from standard five (7th grade), according to the Afrikaans Medium Decree; English would be the medium of instruction for general science and practical subjects (home craft, needlework, woodwork, metalwork, art, agricultural science).

Indigenous languages would only be used for religious instruction, music, and physical culture.

On the morning of 16 June 1976, over 20,000 black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of the protest, yet agreed to become involved. The protest was planned by the Soweto Students’ Representative Council’s (SSRC) Action Committee, with support from the wider Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). Teachers in Soweto also supported the march after the Action Committee emphasised good discipline and peaceful action.

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, eventually ending up near Orlando High School.

“The crowd of between 3,000 and 10,000 students made their 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”.” Related Story Good Samaritans Raise Funds for Molly's Sterilization, Reunite Owner With Her Beloved Dog!

The police set their dog on the protesters, who responded by killing it. The police then began to shoot directly at the children.

Among the first students to be shot dead were 15-year-old Hastings Ndlovu and 13-year-old Hector Pieterson, who were shot at Orlando West High School. The photographer Sam Nzima took a photograph of a dying Hector Pieterson as he was carried away by Mbuyisa Makhubo and accompanied by his sister, Antoinette Sithole. The photograph became the symbol of the Soweto uprising.

The police attacks on the demonstrators continued, and over 700 people died in Soweto. Among them was Dr Melville Edelstein, who had devoted his life to social welfare among blacks. He was stoned to death by the mob and left with a sign around his neck proclaiming “Beware Afrikaners”.

The violence escalated, as bottle stores and beer halls—seen as outposts of the apartheid government—were targeted, as were the official outposts of the state. The violence abated by nightfall. Police vans and armoured vehicles patrolled the streets throughout the night.

Emergency clinics were swamped with injured and bloody children. The police requested that the hospital provide a list of all victims with bullet wounds to prosecute them for rioting. The hospital administrator passed this request to the doctors, but the doctors refused to create the list. Doctors recorded bullet wounds as abscesses.

The 1,500 heavily armed police officers deployed to Soweto on 17 June carried weapons including automatic rifles, stun guns, and carbines. They drove around in armoured vehicles with helicopters monitoring the area from the sky. The South African Army was also ordered on standby as a tactical measure to show military force. Crowd control methods used by South African police at the time included mainly dispersment techniques.

“I remember on the 15 June 1976, just two months after my 16th birthday, when I woke up early in the morning, before the usual time, to prepare myself to go to school at Lofentse… as I was about to leave, I heard my mother from her bedroom saying, “Thabiso don’t forget to pay the rent before going to school”. I didn’t care about being punished for arriving late at school as I rushed to the office to pay rent. June 1976 was an extraordinary cold winter month, and the air was full of tension, when I went to school. Lofentse secondary was a school that should not have existed, I thought to myself, as I walked down the Mooki street in Orlando East, on my way to Lofentse to be taught Bantu education in Afrikaans… Little did I know that I’ll soon find myself caught between flying bullets from R4 assault rifles of the security forces of the Apartheid system, and their vicious police dogs, or becoming a victim of a stampede, caught up in grey dense clouds of suffocating teargas, accompanied by rattling sounds of helicopters above Soweto skies…

The aftermath of the uprising established the leading role of the ANC in the anti-apartheid struggle, as it was the body best able to channel and organise students seeking the end of apartheid. So, although the BCM’s ideas had been important in creating the climate that gave the students the confidence to strike out, it was the ANC’s non-racialism which came to dominate the discourse of the anti-apartheid movement amongst blacks.

The perspectives set out in Joe Slovo’s essay No Middle Road – written at just this time and predicting the apartheid government had only the choice between more repression and overthrow by the revolutionaries – were highly influential.

The clashes also occurred at a time when the South African Government was being forced to “transform” apartheid in international eyes towards a more “benign” form. In October 1976, Transkei, the first Bantustan, was proclaimed “independent” by the South African Government. This attempt to showcase supposed South African “commitment” to self-determination backfired, however, when Transkei was internationally derided as a puppet state.

For the state, the uprising marked the most fundamental challenge yet to apartheid and the economic and political instability it caused was heightened by the strengthening international boycott. It was a further 14 years before Nelson Mandela was released, but at no point was the state able to restore the relative peace and social stability of the early 1970s as black resistance grew.

“Many white South African citizens were outraged at the government’s actions in Soweto, and about 300 white students from the University of the Witwatersrand marched through Johannesburg’s city centre in protest of the killing of children. Black workers went on strike as well and joined them as the campaign progressed. Riots also broke out in the black townships of other cities in South Africa.”

Student organisations directed the energy and anger of the youth toward political resistance. Students in Thembisa organised a successful and non-violent solidarity march, but a similar protest held in Kagiso led to police stopping a group of participants and forcing them to retreat, before killing at least five people while waiting for reinforcements.

The violence only died down on 18 June.

The University of Zululand’s records and administration buildings were set ablaze, and 33 people died in incidents in Port Elizabeth in August. In Cape Town, 92 people died between August and September.

Most of the bloodshed had abated by the close of 1976, but by that time the death toll stood at more than 700.

The continued clashes in Soweto caused economic instability. The South African rand devalued fast, and the government was plunged into a crisis.

The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 392 which strongly condemned the incident and the apartheid government.

A week after the uprising began, Henry Kissinger, the United States Secretary of State, met the South African State President, B. J. Vorster in West Germany to discuss the situation in Rhodesia, but the Soweto uprising did not feature in their discussions. Kissinger and Vorster met again in Pretoria in September 1976, with students in Soweto and elsewhere protesting his visit, and being fired on by police.

African National Congress (ANC) exiles called for international action and more economic sanctions against South Africa.

The 16th of June 1976 started a revolution that would see the end of Apartheid and the beginning of a new South Africa.

“The time will come when our nation will honour the memory of all the sons, the daughters, the mothers, the fathers, the youth and the children who, by their thoughts and deeds, gave us the right to assert with pride that we are South Africans, that we are Africans, and that we are citizens of the world.” – Nelson Mandela

Sources: South Africa History | Youth Day

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Brent Lindeque is the founder and editor in charge at Good Things Guy.

Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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Why We Celebrate Youth Day on 16 June

Jun 1, 2021 | History and Politics

First published: June 2018. Updated 01 June 2021.

On June 16 each year, South Africans celebrate Youth Day . Youth Day commemorates the Soweto Uprising , which took place on 16 June 1976, 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.

The Bantu Education Act and the Soweto Uprising

Let’s rewind a little further to January of 1954, when the Bantu Education Act came into effect, making it compulsory for black children to attend government schools and learn specific subjects in English and Afrikaans. Prior to this, most black children only had access to schools run by missions that were understaffed and poorly attended.   

The Bantu Education system wasn’t much better. 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. T he Bantu Education Policy was designed to ‘train’ Africans for their role in the new apartheid society. This African role was one of the worker, labourer and servant only.

In January of 1976, 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 1976, 16-year-old Antoinette Sithole and an estimated 20,000 students from Soweto and the surrounding secondary and high schools, planned to peacefully protest Afrikaans as the primary teaching language in schools.

If you want a well-rounded picture of what happened during the Soweto Uprising, why not take a half-day Soweto tour ?

The protest was planned by the Soweto Students Representative (SSRC), with support from the wider Black Consciousness Movement. Teachers and parents joined the march after the SSRC emphasised peaceful action. Little did they know this student protest would go on to become one of the most tragic, yet pivotal, protests in all of South Africa’s history.  

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 students sang and waved placards with slogans such as, “Down with Afrikaans” and “Viva Azania “. 

The police responded to the protest by firing teargas and later live ammunition on demonstrating students. The police began to shoot at the protesters and in the confusion and chaos, Sithole’s 13-year-old brother, Hector Pieterson was fatally shot.

Photojournalist, the late Sam Nzima , was covering the protest for The World, a Johannesburg newspaper when he captured the iconic image of Pieterson’s lifeless body being carried through the streets with Sithole crying hysterically by his side. 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 176 Black students, many of them children, including Hector Pieterson, lost their lives on 16 June 1976.

The uprising resulted in a widespread revolt that spread across the country and carried on until the following year. The aftermath of June 16, 1976, 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.  

The students’ brave efforts resulted in international pressure and sanctions against the South African government to make changes to its educational policies.

Read more about the history of Youth Day and the Soweto Uprising

If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Youth Day and the Soweto Uprising in 1976, here are a few book recommendations:

• The Soweto Uprising (Ohio Short Histories of Africa) by Noor Nieftagodien.
• The Road to Soweto: Resistance and the Uprising of 16 June 1976 by Julian Brown.
• The Soweto Uprisings: Counter Memories of June 1976 by Sifiso Ndlovu
• Students Must Rise: Youth Struggle in South Africa before and beyond Soweto ’76 by Ann Heffernan

When did Youth Day become a holiday?

In 1995 , 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 1976. 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 late-1800s.

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.

Not far from here is the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum , which you can visit on the Soweto and Apartheid Museum Tour . It was established in the early 1990s and commemorates the role of the students who took part in the protest march of 1976 and the people who died in the aftermath, fighting for freedom, democracy and peace.

How is Youth Day celebrated in South Africa

Last year in June 2020, we celebrated Youth Day in South Africa against the backdrop of yet another uprising driven by young people. The Black Lives Matter Movement had a resurgence after the killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, earlier in 2020 during the heat of the Coronavirus pandemic. The response to Floyd’s murder caused a significant amount of protests and uprisings all around the world, calling an end to discrimination, systemic racism and police brutality.

In South Africa, we can celebrate Youth Day by commemorating and honouring those who spoke out and took action against the oppressive Apartheid system. We also honour the lives lost in the face of brutalist political systems and all forms of oppression – then and now. Youth Day is used by schools, colleges, and university students in South Africa to hold discussions on educational issues.

Due to COVID-19, there are currently no big events that celebrate Youth Day,  but what we can do is educate ourselves and learn from the events that took place on June 16.

Apart from educating themselves, many South Africans also spend Youth Day helping underprivileged children in schools or orphanages across the country – either by donating their time or resources to aid in their education. 

As visitors to South Africa, you can celebrate Youth Day by visiting Soweto and Vilakazi Street .

Visit Soweto and Vilakazi Street

Due to its rich political history, Soweto has become a popular destination for tourists and travellers looking to learn more about South Africa’s Apartheid past. 

Vilakazi Street in Soweto is famous for being home to two Nobel peace prize winners; Archbishop Desmond Tutu and late president Nelson Mandela. Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s house is not open for viewing, however, Mandela House has become a museum for the public. 

The Nelson Mandela National Museum  or Mandela House was the house where Nelson Mandela lived from 1946 to 1962. Mandela donated the house, and it was declared a National Heritage Site in 1999. 

Another popular activity to celebrate Youth Day is the  June 16 Trail . This walkway takes guests along the exact route that the students marched on in 1976, during the Soweto Uprising. The trail ends at the  Hector Pieterson memorial  where travellers can see the infamous image of Hector Pieterson being carried out of the crossfire after he was shot by the police. 

Here are our top Johannesburg and Soweto tours so that you can start brainstorming for your trip to South Africa. 

Here is a list of Johannesburg tours that have stops in Soweto and Vilakazi Street:

• The Johannesburg Political and Historical Tour . With this tour not only will you be able to experience the highlights of Soweto and Vilakazi Street, but you will also visit other prominent sites in Johannesburg such as  Liliesleaf Farm and Museum  (which was a safe-house for anti-Apartheid leaders and activists). 
• Soweto and Apartheid Museum Tour . This tour guides guests through the township of Soweto as well as a visit to the  Apartheid Museum  where travellers can learn about the history of the Apartheid regime through moving displays and exhibitions. 
• Footsteps of Mandela . This comprehensive tour takes travellers along the journey of Nelson Mandela’s life. The 13-day tour through South Africa begins in Johannesburg and travels through KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. It includes an inside look into Madiba’s life from his birth in the Eastern Cape through to his rise as a leader of the African National Congress, up until he was elected as president in 1994.

If you’re interested in visiting Soweto and Vilakazi Street, speak to one of our travel planners about booking a tour in South Africa.  Book a 30-minute complimentary call  with the African Travel Canvas founder to discuss your post-COVID travel plans. 

We hope that you enjoyed reading this post. If you have any questions or comments, please share them below.

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17 Comments

This is so inspirational but can you guys make it easier for my kids

how i can took a participant in youth day 2022 at Portugal. I am from India . Please guide me. Thanks

Hi Moes, Please mail [email protected] and one of our booking managers will assist you! Thanks!

Can you please assist me I want to organize an event for June 16 2020 in rusternbug I don’t know were to start

Hi Elizabeth, sure, please mail [email protected] and one of our booking team will be able to assist you! Thank you!

Can I aske what is cultural heritage

Myself i need the samathing…

What a thought provoking, in-depth, heart wrenching, informative piece of history that should never be forgotten…

I like this group and how different people give different opinions

I realize that I thought life now was cruel but in actual fact it was worse for people back in apartheid . I show no pity ,but great sadness to those who lost their loved ones in the past . They are true hero’s brave hearts these are the people who should be admired cause without them we will not be where are today I’m proud to be South African I’m proud to call SA my country ,we’ve come this far why not push further. I Lila Norris am humbly greatful to those who suffered so we can live greater lives today.

I am writing a piece and was inspired by this article, very informative.

Thank you so much Isaac. Please feel free to share the article with us, we’d love to read it!

What you did on youth day?

I love youth day! It’s a day to celebrate the progress that our young people have made and to look forward to the future.

Thank you for sharing this important piece of history. It’s so crucial that we remember and honor the sacrifices of the youth who fought for their rights and freedoms. The Soweto Uprising of 1976 was a pivotal moment in South African history, and it’s impact is still felt today. #YouthDay #SowetoUprising #RememberTheStruggle

Thank you for your comment, and yes, we 100% agree!

What a powerful reminder of the importance of youth activism and resistance. The Soweto Uprising of 1976 is a testament to the courage and determination of young people in the face of oppression. It’s amazing to think about how much has been accomplished since then, but also important to acknowledge the ongoing struggles for justice and equality. Thank you for sharing this piece and further highlighting the significance of Youth Day.

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Essays About Youth: Top 5 Essay Examples Plus 10 Prompts

Discover our guide with creative writing prompts and examples for essays about youth to help you get started on your next great essay!

Youth is that cusp between childhood and adulthood — a period filled with zest, adventure, and impulsiveness. Our future depends on the youth of today. As such, we are well-advised to equip ourselves with sufficient skills and knowledge to resolve future problems effectively. We must also train them to develop a moral compass, incredible determination, and deep compassion for others to serve well as future leaders.

5 Essay Examples

1. youth in revolt: five powerful movements fueled by young activist by erin blakemore, 2. what you can learn from a young ceo by elaine pofeldt, 3. advice to the youth by mark twain , 4. us youth are in a mental health crisis—we must invest in their care by mitchell j. prinstein, 5. young people are leaving their jobs in record numbers—and not going back by raisa bruner, 1. effects of social media on youth self-esteem, 2. youth’s learning crisis, 3. addressing youth obesity, 4. encouraging stem careers for youth, 5. engaging youth in community building, 6. why youth engage in cybercrime, 7. love for today’s youth, 8. national youth day, 9. substance abuse prevention for youth , 10. benefits of sex education to youth.

“Youth who participated in the civil rights movement embraced what one-time SNCC chairman Representative John Lewis called “good trouble”—fearless agitation designed to provoke, challenge, and move progress forward.”

Youth have always driven impactful social and political movements in whatever era and whichever part of the globe they are. This essay recounts some of history’s most powerful and meaningful protests mobilized by youth. Check out these essays about life lessons .

“Whether we needed to select a blogging platform or figure out how to keep costs down, we invariably found that younger CEOs were great sources of ideas.”

Gone are the days when one would purely seek older people for wisdom in business. With the competition in the digital age, youth are proving to bring in a wealth of ideas that can effectively support business strategies.

“Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s. ”

The American writer shows his humor and sarcasm by teaching youth the art of lying and handling firearms carelessly. Ultimately, he tells those who would succeed that they would be no different than the rest of society. 

“We have an opportunity to make a serious commitment to youth mental health, just as we did 70 years ago to help adults. This is a chance for parents, teachers, and youth to stop whispering about their mental health needs and begin shouting for our country to invest in its future and end our children’s suffering.”

As youth suicides have increased over the years, data shows that it is now the second leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds. The situation demands urgent action and a rethink of the overall mental health system.

“For some, it’s burnout. For others, the timing was ripe to refocus on side projects as the stresses of the pandemic started to wane. And for many, especially in a service sector dominated by “zillennials”… poor treatment and low wages became unsustainable.”

The pandemic burnout has driven the Great Resignation among youth, leaving over 10 million jobs in the US unoccupied. This triggers a sea change in the societal landscape, where young workers pursue their self-worth and can afford to do so.

10 Thought-Provoking Prompts On Essays About Youth

While we all tend to compare our qualities and achievements to those of others, social media has made this habit worse. To youth, the biggest market of social media platforms, this has resulted in lower self-esteem, especially for girls . In your essay, gather present research that studies the links between social media use and low confidence levels. Then, recommend ways for young readers to spend more time in the real world and rebuild their self-esteem.

In recent years, it has been recognized that the world is facing a learning crisis that even the wealthier G20 countries are not exempt from . But as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted face-to-face school interactions for prolonged periods, what does the future of education and skills-building look like for our youth? Answer this with the support of research studies and data, and surveys from reputed organizations and agencies. Finally, enumerate the best ways to invest in our youth’s education.

Many cases of obesity among youth are due to the lack of exercise. For this topic prompt, lay down the negative effects of obesity, such as the increased likelihood of diabetes, hypertension, lack of self-esteem, and depression. Then, with research on wellness experts’ advice, encourage readers to change their lifestyle one step at a time to address or prevent obesity. For example, walking for 10 minutes to take a break from work could be a powerful start in changing a routine. 

No industry gains as much from youth’s ingenuity as the innovation industry. First, elaborate on the importance of developing youth’s scientific and technical skills. Then, look at how schools incorporate science, technology, engineering, and math into the curriculum, starting with your school. To conclude your essay, look at how intensive your government’s programs are in unlocking the inner scientists of today’s youth. 

Youth have the vigor and passion for changing the world. Because of this, they are one of the best groups to tap into for building a better community. To start this essay, look at the ratio of young volunteers to the total number of volunteers in your community. You can check this ratio in other communities and see how active your youth are in volunteer community work compared to others. Then, enumerate interesting practices cities can adopt to attract youth to participate in their programs. 

The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency has reported a 107% annual increase in police reports of young students engaging in cyberattacks in 2020. Dig deeper into this report and find out the main motivations why young offenders would join the dark side in cyberspace. Is it for the millions of bucks or the sense of validation in the hacking community? Then identify some best practices law enforcement authorities and schools are implementing to thwart cybercrime among youth.

Young love has always been defined by its wild passions and adventures. Does this hold today in this digital age? How have relationships evolved in the age of social media? Mull over these questions and look at other modern trends in young love. For example, many claims that internet relationships, where couples meet and interact purely online, constitute true love. 

Celebrated every August 12, International Youth Day (IYD) aims to raise awareness of youth’s pressing challenges. Your essay can revolve around the focus of the last or upcoming celebration theme. Then, reflect on the issue’s relevance and what actions you think society can take to ease the problem. For example, the 2022 IYD is themed “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.” This expounds on fostering solidarity across generations to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevention is always better than cure. In this essay, search for data on youths reportedly battling drug abuse. Highlight an upward trend, if any. Then, highlight the risk factors that lead youth to drug or alcohol abuse and the consequences on health and overall well-being. You may also pay attention to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 16 key principles for determining the most suitable prevention programs. 

A research study has found that aside from preventing early pregnancy and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, comprehensive sex education helps youth feel safe and achieve success in the long term. Examine these benefits and cite the negative effects of a lack of sex education during youth. Finally, it underscores schools’ critical roles in integrating sex education and protecting students. 

If you need further guidance, check out our essay writing tips . Finally, don’t forget to proofread your essay using the best grammar checkers .