Soweto uprising

The 1976 Soweto uprising represented a real turning point in South Africa’s history. Even to contemporaries it seemed to mark the beginning of the end of apartheid. It also brought into the political equation the role of youth, who were to play a vital role in the township revolts of the 1980s. What commenced as a peaceful and coordinated demonstration rapidly turned into a violent protest when police opened fire on students. Orlando West, the centre of the confrontation on the day, was transformed into a space of political contestation. For the first time, students claimed the streets and schools as their own. Soweto parents were shocked by these events, revealing an important generational divide. Thereafter, forging student and parent unity became a central objective of the liberation movement. This short history brings alive the sequence of events and delves into the significance the uprising had on South African politics.

Dr Noor Nieftagodien holds an NRF chair in the Department of History at the University of the Witwatersrand and serves as the head of the History Workshop. His most recent book is Alexandra: A History, co-authored with Phil Bonner. He also served on the editorial board of the Road to Democracy in South Africa Project and has published articles on aspects of the liberation movements.