SEBOKENG – Hundreds of the African National Congress (ANC) members, survivors of Vaal uprising, family of the victims and the community commemorated the Vaal Uprising over the weekend.

The event started with a march on the streets of Sebokeng and later ended with a formal proceeding at Saul Tsotetsi sports complex where ANC’s Gauteng provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi delivered a keynote address.

The Vaal Uprising took place on 3rd of September 1984 during a stay away in protest of tariff hikes proposed by then apartheid local councils.

The uprising ended tragically when 30 people were mercilessly killed by police.

Struggle songs and chanting was the order of the day as the attendees celebrated the struggle that contributed to the change in democracy.

Addressing the gathered crowds, Deputy Chairperson of the ANC in Sedibeng Mluleki Nkosi welcomed the survivors, families and different dignitaries and explained the purpose of the event.

“We are gathered to pay revolutionary homage. The ANC in the region decided to commemorate this day to remind ourselves how we have gone to address bread and butter issues in the past,” he said.

Nkosi added that “our history is written with blood, tears and sweat of our people who were tortured and arrested. Some still have not returned till this day. Today, we remember all our sacrifices,” he said.

Handing down his keynote address Lesufi said “Today marks the 38th anniversary of a crucial day where our people sent a strong message to the regime and said freedom or death. Today marks a crucial day that all of us when we are gathered like this, we must answer one question and ask ourselves that was it worth it. Was it worth it that our people died, was it worth it that some of our leaders find themselves in a death rows,” he said.

Lesufi said the history of the liberation struggle including the Vaal Uprising, must be included in the school curriculum.

Lesufi told the crowds that when schools reopen in January next year, they will have lessons on Vaal Uprising.