The late Dr Sam Nzima’s iconic 1976 Soweto Uprising photograph possesses extraordinary power and carries great responsibility.

This was said by Prof Nalini Moodley, the executive dean of the faculty of arts and design at the Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Mbombela Campus, during the sixth annual Dr Sam Nzima Memorial Lecture on June 16.

In her keynote address, Moodley said that this anniversary of the 1976 Uprising allows us to pause and remember what happened in the past, and to reflect on what remains unfinished in our nation.

“Dr Nzima understood he was capturing an image of a society collapsing under its own violence, describing his photograph as a visual marker of national trauma. Fifty years later, conditions may be different, but the photograph remains politically active, challenging us to consider what South Africa has yet to achieve. So much so that universities are in a position to continue the conversation,” she said.

This year’s lecture followed the theme, ‘The enduring relevance of the iconic June 16 photograph taken by Sam Nzima’. The photo features an injured Hector Pieterson carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo during the Soweto Uprising.

The vice-chancellor of TUT, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, said the institution has partnered with the Sam Nzima Foundation to preserve the photographic work and legacy of one of South Africa’s greatest photographers of the century.

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“While others fought with guns, Dr Sam Nzima’s weapon was his camera. For today’s generation, the message is threefold: education, education and education, stressing that he has never seen anyone who acquired skills and entrepreneurial abilities be left behind in life,” he said. Maluleke said that 50 years ago, the youth of that generation had a clear mission and the youth of this generation also need to rediscover their own mission.

Nzima’s son, Thulani, reflected on the legacy of his father’s iconic photograph and its enduring impact in capturing the brutality of apartheid, its role in shaping collective memory, and its significance in preserving history.

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He said the commemoration reaffirmed the story behind the photograph, which continues to speak across generations about humanity and the cost of freedom.

This year’s commemoration featured a photography competition that allowed TUT students to unleash their creativity. A first-year commercial photography student, Siphokazi Marivate, won the competition. She received R5 000 in prize money.