SAE3701 ASSIGNMENT 2 2023.

SAE3701 ASSIGNMENT 2 2023. 15 MARCH 2023 SAE3701 ASSIGNMENT 2 – The Soweto uprising happened on June 16th, 1976. It was a protest against introducing Afrikaans as a medium in black schools all over South-Africa. It was estimated that around 20,000 students took part in this protest against the movement. Black South African high school students in Soweto protested the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974, which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in equal terms as languages of instruction. The association of Afrikaans with apartheid prompted black South Africans to prefer English. 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 and eventually ended up near Orlando High School. The crowd of between 3,000 and 10,000 students made its 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". During these times people of colour in South-Africa was treated very unfairly and I think it was very important for something to be done. The black youth of South-Africa during those times led a very good example by doing what they did. These students were very brave and they fought for their political rights against the South-African government. As a young person living in South-Africa it had to take a lot of positive mindset to achieve great things like they did. I think as people who live in postApartheid times it is very important for us to also learn how to be brave and to stand up for things that we don’t believe in. These young students learned how to work together in a group and they taught other young people how to form part of a group and that group work will always have a bigger impact when you want something to change. The 1976 Soweto Uprisings serve as a great example of the critical role young people have historically played in challenging the harsh and unjust conditions facing them and bringing about a democratic dispensation in South Africa.