Today is the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising in 1976.
On the morning of the 16th, thousands of black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to peacefully protest against having to learn through the medium of Afrikaans rather than English in school.
The students began the march only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their intended route. The crowd of some 10,000 students began to sing and waving placards saying, "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu".
The Police tried to disperse the students using dogs and tear gas and eventually they fired shots into the crowd, and pandemonium broke out.
The first person to be shot was Hastings Ndlovu, followed by 12-year-old Hector Pieterson.
The photo of his body became a symbol of police brutality.
The rioting continued and 23 people, died on the first day in Soweto.
This was one of the seminal moments in my political education and led me to join the Anti-Apartheid Movement, and the Young Liberals which was led by the young Peter Hain (!).
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