What #June16 is all about
The country commemorates the lives lost in 1976 in Soweto and other parts of the country.
Youth Day is celebrated annually on 16 June to commemorate the Soweto uprising of 1976.
In 1953, the apartheid government enacted the Bantu Education Act, which brought African education under control of the government and extended apartheid to black schools.
The act transferred control of African education from the department of education to the native affairs department.
In 1975, protests started in African schools after a directive from the Bantu education department announced that Afrikaans had to be used with English as a language of instruction in secondary schools.
Pupils organised themselves and marched to Orlando stadium in Soweto in 16 June 1976.
Little did the students and pupils know their action would end in a bloodbath.
The police responded to the march with teargas and live ammunition to disperse the raging crowds.
This sparked widespread revolt that turned into an uprising against the government.
While the uprising began in Soweto, it spread across the country and carried on until the following year.
Many of children and youths were killed and injured and 5 980 were arrested.
The fateful day also saw the rise of political parties such as the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) and the formation of South African Students Organisation (SASO).
The march was meant to culminate in a rally at Orlando stadium but instead many children died for better education.
Facts about June 16:
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