tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339496142008-08-05T11:12:42.170+01:00soweto uprisings . com :: blogBabak Fakhamzadehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15554180492985876788noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-58947140916690603132008-07-03T05:35:00.010+01:002008-07-03T16:37:06.276+01:00Tiyang Primary School: MeadowlandsMaki Lekaba was a standard five student at Tiyang Primary School. On Wednesday June 16 1976, Maki went to school not knowing that anything out of the ordinary was being planned.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/2634014696/" title="Tiyang Primary School by ismail.farouk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2634014696_6266103454_m.jpg" alt="Tiyang Primary School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><object height="20" width="200"></object><object height="20" width="200"><br />She was surprised when addressed by high school pupils from nearby Meadwolands High School at the school gates. The older pupils were attempting to recruit younger pupils in the march against oppression. Maki had no idea that Afrikaans was being used as an instrument of oppression by the apartheid government. She joined the march against Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, in solidarity with other school pupils.<br /><br />Maki followed the older pupils through Meadowlands. Along the way she witnessed the destruction of offices and liquor outlets related to the West Rand Administration Board (WRAB).<br /><br /></object><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="20" width="200"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/2633195707/" title="WRAB Offices Destroyed on June 16 1976 by ismail.farouk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3083/2633195707_beb92767cb_m.jpg" alt="WRAB Offices Destroyed on June 16 1976" height="180" width="240" /></a></object><br /><object height="20" width="200"></object></div><object height="20" width="200"><br /></object><div style="text-align: left;"><object height="20" width="200"></object>The house above is the former site of a WRAB rental office. On June 16 1976, this WRAB office was set alight and destroyed along with all its records and documentation. The students continued on a path of destruction, robbing a furniture truck and bread delivery truck before destroying a bar associated with the apartheid regime.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/2633196221/" title="ebhareni by ismail.farouk, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2633196221_766c839398_m.jpg" alt="ebhareni" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br />The two-storey structure pictured above is a former WRAB Beer Hall (Bareng). The destruction of this beer hall was the final act of destruction by students from Meadowlands. Students were forced to scatter into nearby homes as police converged into the area.<br /><br />This is where Maki's march ended. She returned to her home and was glad not be in school for the next few days.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Here is a short audio interview with Maki Lekaba:<br /><br /><object height="20" width="200"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.ipernity.com/mp/2311713.8572efd8.mp3.swf"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.ipernity.com/mp/2311713.8572efd8.mp3.swf?e=mp3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="20" width="200"></embed></object></span></div>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-50022917987638161122008-06-30T17:06:00.002+01:002008-06-30T17:09:39.726+01:00We are lovedChad Rossouw over at <a href="http://www.artthrob.co.za/">A R T T H R O B</a> wrote up <a href="http://www.artthrob.co.za/08jun/project.html">a nice article</a> on this very website recently.<br /><br /><blockquote>This seamless technological approach takes a back-seat though, to the well researched content. Farouk, who was the chief researcher, explored the routes with guides who told him the stories. Points of interest were photographed. On the map these photos and stories can be accessed by clicking on the spots. The contemporary photos provide an entry point both to the past events as well as urban history since. The result is an in-depth look at a significant historical moment, but which is easily understood and reached.</blockquote>Clearly, we're doing something right!Babak Fakhamzadehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15554180492985876788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-39696011476139166972007-12-06T09:57:00.001+02:002007-12-06T10:07:46.550+02:00Research FindingsPhase 2 of the Hector Pieterson Research Project ended in September 2007. Here is a list of research findings and constraints:<br /><br /><ul><li>There are number of meeting places and social networks which provided support to the students during the planning stages of the uprisings. The house of Mr. Mbatha and Titi Mthenjana stand out in particular. Oupa Moloto is certain of the existance of further landmarks in White City, however he is struggling to remember where they are.</li></ul><ul><li>Naledi demontrates a rich political history, which this research process has only touched on. There are a number of homes belonging to student leaders which still need to be located.</li></ul><ul><li>The history of the conflicts between hostel dwellers and township residents presents an important perspective social dynamics within Soweto. The geographic proximately of Jabulani Hostels to the newly developed 1976 Heroes Acre presents an opportunity to communicate this historically important relationship to new visitors.</li></ul><ul><li>There are a number of Important landmarks pertinent to Hector Pieterson’s childhood life which need to be identified. Hector’s creche, the local shop, Hector’s School and the swimming pool in Central Western Jabavu are all important landmarks in the historical landscape of 1976.</li></ul><ul><li>Diepkloof also has a rich history that has rarely received attention. According to Steve Lebelo, Diepkloof offers an ideal terrain to examine how forms of extended social networks developing since mass resettlement of communities in the 1950s and strengthened by the unifying ideology of Black Consciousness during the 1970s, broke down in the face of new political identities.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Research into the life of Mbuyiso Makhoba needs to be prioritised. Not much is known about this important person who was immortalised in Sam Nzima’s famous photograph.</li></ul><ul><li>A small group of students from Vuwani Secondary School continued to march from Sizwe Stores to Orlando West. Their fate is still unknown.</li></ul><ul><li>Limited information on the uprisings in Tshiawelo has restricted this project. Whilst the route from Vuwani Secondary School has been mapped, limited information and particiaption from active particiapnts has hampered the mapping of the route from Sekano Ntoane.<br /></li></ul>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-10141701973157964252007-09-19T09:29:00.000+02:002007-09-19T10:12:59.207+02:00Soweto uprisings . com wins Highway Africa new media awardThat's right, the cool cowboys behind <strong>Soweto uprisings . com</strong>, <a href="http://ismailfarouk.com/">Ismail Farouk</a> and <a href="http://babakfakhamzadeh.com/">Babak Fakhamzadeh</a> were presented with the very (dare we say) prestigious <a href="http://highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/">Highway Africa</a> new media award in the individual category in Grahamstown last week.<br /><br />Ismail was invited over to receive the prize. Here's a cute little video of the ceremony.<br /><br /><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="Zoom" bgcolor="#000000" height="264" width="322"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.zoopy.com/Small_offsite.swf"> <param name="FlashVars" value="stream=http://www.zoopy.com/video/1189583434.flv"><param name="quality" value="high"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"> <param name="loop" value="false"> <embed src="http://www.zoopy.com/Small_offsite.swf" flashvars="stream=http://www.zoopy.com/video/1189583434.flv" quality="high" bgcolor="#000000" name="Zoom" loop="false" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="264" width="322"></embed></object></center><br /><br />Besides ever lasting fame, we won a carved fishbowl with the odd inscription "Journalist of the year 2007" and a Blackberry 8700g. Wanna trade for a Nokia N95?<br /><br />At the event, <strong>Soweto uprisings . com</strong> was called "...the most innovative site in Africa." This was definitely the case a year ago, when we started the site, but the technology we use has slowly entered the mainstream.<br /><br />That said, we do believe that due to the social relevance of this site, it does deserve to be called at least one of the most innovative sites in the world.<br /><br />Here's a picture of the award:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1405636621/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1405636621_af48a92e26_m.jpg" alt="Soweto uprisings . com wins!" height="190" width="240" /></a></center>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-80385502468123588602007-09-11T10:40:00.000+02:002007-09-12T08:21:12.273+02:00Process: Mapping The Morris Isaacson High School Route<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date:</span> 24 July 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route guides:</span> Mpafi Mpafi and Oupa Moloto<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facilitator:</span> Ali Hlongwane<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter:</span> Ismail Farouk<br /><br />Early on the 24th of July 2006, a bitterly cold morning, our research group set off from the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial (HPMM) to retrace the main route from Morris Isaacson High School in Central Western Jabavu to Phefeni Senior Secondary School in Orlando West. Our objectives were to map the route and identify important landmarks and places of interest along the way.<br /><br />Our beginning point was Jabulani Hostels in Moahloli Street at the point before the street becomes Mputhi Street. “Jabulani” means happiness. However, Mpafi Mpafi reminded us that the history of Jabulani Hostel dwellers and their relationship with township residents was not always happy. Running battles between hostel inmates and township residents occurred here during 1976.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/243370222/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/243370222_8c6d8d636e_m.jpg" alt="outside jabulani hostels" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Research Group Standing Outside Jabulani Hostels</span><br /></div><br />Factors contributing to the hostility between hostel dwellers and township residents include the use of hostel inmates as strike breakers during the stay-away of 23 -25 August 1976<sup>1</sup>. The Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC) called for mass stay-away protests between August and November 1976. Hostel dwellers ignored this stay-away call because of the intervention of the police, Inkatha and the Soweto Urban Bantu Council. This led to the harassment of hostel dwellers by township youth. Other factors included the nature of the hostel institution which created class separation from the rest of the township community<sup>1</sup>. Living conditions in hostels were squalid and inmates had no rights whatsoever. Hostels were made up of large halls with communal facilities. Common water taps, showers and toilets were provided outside hostels. The poor conditions within hostels encouraged anti-social behaviour.<br /><br />From Jabulani Hostels it is possible to see the Oppenheimer Tower in the distance. We headed off towards the tower by first travelling north on Mputhi Street and then west, by turning left into Taelo Street. At the intersection of Mputhi and Taelo streets there was much paving activity, part of the JRA sidewalk paving project.<br /><br />We reached Oppenheimer Tower complex which is set within parklike surroundings. The tower was built in 1955 from ash bricks which were the remains of shantytowns.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastababa/237711957/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/237711957_b458a4486c.jpg" alt="Oppenheimer tower" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Oppenheimer Tower</span><br /></div><br />The view from the tower provides a sense of the vastness of Soweto. From here looking south, there is a great view of the train-like housing architecture of Jabulani Hostels. Further in the south-west, the West Rand Administration Board (WRAB) Fresh Fruit Market is visible. The WRAB Fresh Fruit Market was set alight and destroyed on June 16 1976. We were reminded of the violence of that day’s events by Oupa Moloto recalling the gruesome sight of a headless boy lying on the ground with a cabbage under each arm.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastababa/237769328/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/237769328_8c114f3c16_m.jpg" alt="View of Soweto" height="39" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">The vastness of Soweto from Oppenheimer Tower</span><br /></div><br />Other landmarks visible from the tower include the 1976 memorial acre and the former home of Tsietsie Mashinini (see below), both of which are located close by in the suburb of Central Western Jabavu which surrounds the tower complex to the north and east. Still within the Oppenheimer gardens, we took a moment under the shadow cast by the Oppenheimer Tower where Mpafi Mpafi reminded us of the running battles between township residents and hostel dwellers which occurred in the park. He also pointed out that the gardens were a place of refuge for students who hid amongst the trees.<br /><br />The Oppenheimer Tower is located adjacent to The Credo Mutwa Cultural Village. The village, also known as Khayalendaba, or "Place of Stories", has always been associated with story-telling, rituals and ceremonies, plays and other cultural activities. Its founder, Credo Mutwa is a Zulu Sangoma or traditional healer, a cultural historian and an award-winning nature conservationist in South Africa. Credo who is over 80 years old, is known worldwide as the Zulu Shaman. In 1976 students thought he was a collaborator and his house in Diepkloof was burnt down in the aftermath of June 16. Later most of the cultural village was destroyed too because of Credo Mutwa’s testimony in the state’s official enquiry into the student uprisings.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastababa/237713505/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/88/237713505_5836b48606_m.jpg" alt="Credo Mutwa" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Mythological Sculpture at Credo Mutwa</span><br /></div><br />From the Credo Mutwa Village and Oppenheimer Tower complex we headed back to Mputhi Street and parked across from Morris Isaacson High School at the 1976 Memorial Acre, which is in the process of development. Mpafi remarked that it was students from Morris Isaacson High School who were central to the planning of the student march on June 16. One such student, Tsietsie Mashinini, lived across the road from Morris Isaacson High School.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/923536039/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1052/923536039_38e459de46_m.jpg" alt="House Tsietsie Mashinini" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The Home Of Tsietsie Mashinini</span><br /></div><br />Today, the family of Tsietsie Mashinini is trying to purchase the former family home with a view to converting it into a family museum in honour of the fallen hero. The 1976 Memorial Acre contains a newly erected monument in Tsietsie’s honour. The monument was created as part of the Sunday Times Heritage Public Art programme. Its physical form resembles a giant book which symbolizes the crisis in education experienced in 1976. On the face of the book is the map of the route taken by the students from Morris Isaacson High School to Phefeni Junior Secondary in Orlando West, whilst the back cover of the ‘book’ is inscribed with a tribute to Tsietsie Mashinini.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102230406/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1165/1102230406_58230f5c33_m.jpg" alt="Tsietsie Mashinini Monument (Sunday Times)" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Monument to Tsietsie Mashinini</span><br /></div><br />We continued up Mputhi Street past the killing site of Dr Melville Edelstein. Dr. Edelstein was one of two white officials beaten to death that day. A sociologist, Dr. Edelstein worked closely with many youth from Soweto. Earlier on the fateful morning, he greeted students as they past his house on Mputhi Street. However, once news of Hector Pieterson's death filtered through the ranks, happiness turned to anger and Dr. Edelstein was murdered for being a white man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ironically, Dr Edelstein had warned that the hostility of township youth should be taken as a serious threat to peace in Soweto. In his thesis, written five years prior to the events of June 16, "What Young Africans Think” (1971), 73 percent of the youth interviewed listed inadequate political rights among major grievances.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/243385199/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/243385199_474ab572b6_m.jpg" alt="Dr. M. Edelstein" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Dr. Melvillle Edelstein's body was found here on Mputhi Street.</span><br /></div><br />We briefly left the route in order to document two houses of historical significance. The first, belonging to Titi Mthenjana was known as ‘The Headquarters’ or HQ. This house was a safe haven for students who would sleep here in order to escape harassment by the police. The second house also a safe haven for students belongs to Mr Mbatha, a student mentor and advisor. Mr Mbatha’s home has changed considerably over time but Oupa Moloto still remembers how the home hosted important meetings of the SSRC.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/243391972/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/243391972_277c364851_m.jpg" alt="Mshenguville" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Mshenguville Informal Settlement</span><br /></div><br />We returned to Mputhi Street and drove past Mshenguville Squatter camp, a former golf course. Further north on Mputhi Street, beyond the Roodeport intersection, the street name changes to Machaba Street. We turned right into Zulu Street and 200m ahead came to the site where Tsietsie Mashinini addressed crowds of students on the landmark bridge. The bridge is relatively unchanged since the 70s. Here Mashinini exhorted the students to remain calm and protest peacefully.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/243370220/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/91/243370220_3c22340f76_m.jpg" alt="tsietsie landmark bridge" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bridge where Tsietsie addressed students.</span><br /></div><br />We continued towards Orlando West past the point where Machaba Street becomes Mahalafele Street, turned right into Phiri Street and left into Vilikazi Street. Our journey ended on Vilikazi Street at the intersection with Moema Street outside Phefeni Junior Secondary School. This is where students congregated on the morning of June 16 1976. Today this intersection has been memorialised by a monument marking the shooting site of Hector Pierterson. For many this is where the march ended as waiting police opened fire on protesting students.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span><br /><br />1. <span style="">Moss, G. (1982): 'Crisis and Conflict: Soweto 1976-7', MA dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand.<br /></span>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-3024142884337500212007-09-11T09:56:00.000+02:002007-09-12T08:19:16.148+02:00The Vuwani Secondary School Route (Chiawelo)<amp;hl=en" flashvars=""></embed> <br /><br />This is the route taken by Reginah Msundiwa, a student at Vuwani Secondary School in Chiawelo. Msundiwa is a qualified nurse an currently works as a research assistant at Baragwnath Hospital.The importance of Msundiwa’s story is that she represents a participant who had no prior knowledge of the march and was surprised when she got to school on that fateful Wednesday morning. Msundiwa elaborates, “ I got to school in the morning and during the assembly students began to sing and we addressed by one of the student leaders - I don’t know his name. He said that today we are marching against Afrikaans. I was surprised, really, I was surprised!”<br /><br />Vuwani Secondary School is located in Chiawelo in the far south western corner of Soweto. Students planned to march all the way to Orlando West and hoped to collect other students from neighbouring schools along the way. Their plan was to collect students from Sekano Ntoane before proceeding pass Morris Isaacson High School in Central Western Jabvu. However, the plan did not work out as intended as students from neighbouring schools left already.<br /><br />Students from Vuwani Secondry School were the last group marching on 16 June 1976. They covered a fair distance, avoiding main roads as they ambelled towards Mputhi Street in White City. When the students got to Morris Isaacon High School the school grounds were empty. Msundiwa’s group was adressed by a student leader (not Tsietsie) who warned them about a looming police presence and called for a peaceful and calm protest.<br /><br />The Vuwani group proceeded on Mputhi Street but a short while later they were met by police. By the time Msundiwa got to the corner of Mputhi and Roodeport Roads, news of the killing of Hector Pieterson and of the white socioogist Dr. Melville Edelstein reached her. Msundiwa remembers running for cover from police who began an assault on her group. The Vuwani group dispersed into the White City landscape, running into adjacent yards and houses in order to avoid gun fire.<br /><br />Msundiwa’s march along with most students from Vuwani Secondary School ended here, outsdie Sizwe Stores about 10 Km away from Orlando West. A small group from her school continued through Mofolo Park in order to get to Orlando West. Their fate is still unknown.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-28810298012419870452007-09-08T10:09:00.000+02:002007-09-11T10:06:05.332+02:00The Avalon Memorial Route<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date:</span> 08 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide: </span>Ali Hlongwane (Curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk<br /><br />The Avalon Memorial Route is the symbolic funeral route taken in remembrance of all those who lost their lives during the Soweto Uprisings. Thirty years ago, in the aftermath of the violence, a mass burial was planned for the dead. An application to hold a mass burial was made to the Johannesburg Chief Magistrate - This application was denied. Further attempts to list all the dead were foiled by the police as the bereaved families were denied access to the bodies of the dead. It was Dr Motlana’s suggestion to hold a symbolic mass burial service to symbolise all the dead. The symbolic funeral service was conducted on Hector Pieterson at Regina Mundi Church (Mashabela 1987). Every year since then a special service is held at the church to commemorate the events of June 16 1976 followed by a procession to the Avalon Cemetery.<br /><br />On the 08th of August 2006, Ali Hlongwane and I retraced the Avalon Memorial route from the Regina Mundi Church on the Old Potchefstroom Road. The Regina Mundi Church is a Roman Catholic Church and Bishop’s residence. The facility opened in 1962 and has been the scene for many mass gatherings of people over the years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/230902022/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/230902022_b8b00b0b22_m.jpg" alt="Regina Mundi Church" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Regina Mundi Church</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1169376164/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1104/1169376164_04a17d62ac_m.jpg" alt="Regina Mundi Interior" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Regina Mundi Church Interior</span><br /></div><br />On this day, a very different kind of gathering was happening. CNN, the global media giant, was hosting a live public broadcast from the Regina Mundi Church. The broadcast was aimed at examining the state of the nation a decade after emerging from the isolation of apartheid. <br />After a brief inspection of the interior of the Regina Mundi Church, we drove down the Old Potchefstroom Road in a westerly direction. A short while later, we turned left into Sibasa Street in Chiawelo and traveled in a southerly direction.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/237132741/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/237132741_23d2412418_m.jpg" alt="SOMOHO" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Soweto Mountain of Hope (SOMOHO)</span><br /></div><br />We past the famous SOMOHO water tower on a little hill. SOMOHO stands for Soweto Mountain of Hope. The site is a community cultural initiative which transformed the barren, dangerous hill into a beautiful cultural centre.<br /><br />We continued south and soon we reached the entrance of the Avalon Cemetery. Avalon Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in South Africa and is the final resting place of many political and cultural activists. The cemetery is about 170ha in size and is managed by the City of Johannesburg’s City Parks division. At the entrance to the cemetery, a memorial with the words, “Never Never Again” inscribed on it pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the Soweto uprisings of 1976.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1169379050/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1414/1169379050_d3b9b4fb4d_m.jpg" alt="Never Never Again" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Memorial to Fallen Heroes - Avalon Cemetery</span><br /></div><br />One of the many problems experienced at the cemetery include the digging up of graves by wild dogs. Some graves have been ‘fenced’ off using metal structures which resemble little beds in order to protect them from wild animals.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/525389693/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1020/525389693_412565afe1_m.jpg" alt="Beware of Open Graves" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Beware of Open Graves<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/525419193/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1217/525419193_f234a573f5_m.jpg" alt="Dog in Grave" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /></span><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Dog in Grave<br /></span></div><br />With more than 200 funerals occurring each weekend, Avalon Cemetery is facing severe pressure. The death rate is increasing by 10% per year. Cremation is not considered appropriate for most people so City Parks are encouraging families to consider the “second burial” option, where several members of a family are buried in the same grave. Compounding the problem is the Aids pandemic. With more than 6.5 million of the country's 47 million people infected with HIV, demand for space is increasing. Every weekend, convoys of buses carrying mourners bring the Old Potchefstroom Road to a standstill. This has resulted in special traffic marshals being deployed to deal with the traffic congestion every weekend.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sowetouprisings.com/site/blog/2007/06/we-cannot-continue-to-die-like-this.asp">"We Cannot Continue To Die Like This" </a><br />(An original video artwork by Babak Fakhamzadeh and Ismail Farouk)<br /></div><br /><p><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="spip"> </p>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-23365097808669780432007-08-23T05:36:00.000+01:002007-08-23T07:01:24.031+01:00PAC led 1960 Poisitve Action Campaign Route from Orlando East<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date: </span>17 July 2007<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide: </span>John Gaanakgomo (PAC member)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facilitator:</span> Ali Hlongwane, (curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Observers:</span> John Mahapa and Babak Fakhamzadeh<br /><br />John Gaanakgomo was the first Chairman of the PAC in Orlando East. His political career began in the ANC Youth league but because of ideological differences with the organisation, he along with other members of similar thought, broke away from the ANC to form the PAC. Gaanakgomo elaborates, " We deviated from the ANC because of the issues around land and Africaness. The Freedom Charter states, “The People Shall Govern”. But who are the People? Africa is for Africans!" It was because of the contrary issue of Africanism that the PAC was formed at the Orland East Community Center in 1959.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/877605610/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/877605610_b3f38b30c7_m.jpg" alt="2 johns" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Figure:</span> John Mahapa (left) and John Gaanakgoro standing outside the Orlando East Community Center<br /></div><br />On the morning of 21 March 1960. Members of the PAC were strategically positioned on street corners in Orlando East to intercept men walking to the train station on they way to work. Passing men were encouraged not to go to work but rather to hand themselves over for arrest.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1092554845/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1380/1092554845_576ae90ee6_m.jpg" alt="John Gaanakgomo's Position" height="180" width="240" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">John Gaanakgomo waited here on the 21st March 1960. He targeted all males on their way to work asking them to present themselves for arrest at the police station.</span><br /></div><br />Gaanakgomo was positioned near Mlamlankunzi Station which is located in close proximately to the Orlando Police Station. He remembers addressing men asking them to proceed to the Police Station. He received mixed reactions to his request, "Some men were surprised, others thought we were mad for our actions. Some joined willingly. Others were forced to."<br /><br />As the PAC members walked towards the police station on Mooki Street they sang their songs and were greeted by students from Orlando High School. Some students joined the march.<br />The idea was to flood the jails as a protest action against reference books. <br /><br />As they neared the police station, the men were warned about special police who were deployed to disrupt the march. So the marching men dispersed and took back roads to avoid special police. Soon they reached the Orlando Police Station where the waiting men assembled under the shade of a blue gum tree.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1040498133/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1310/1040498133_567515e378_m.jpg" alt="orlando police station" height="180" width="240" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Outside the Orlando Police Station</span><br /></div><br />Gaanakgomo remembers waiting outside for most of the day. More men arrived in drips and drabs. Eventually, the police arrested the core members of the organization only. But Gaanakgomo and his group insisted on being arrested with their leaders and so a short while later all of the waiting men were arrested. John Gaanakgomo was detained for several months later.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-81976505857041813172007-08-21T21:05:00.000+01:002007-08-21T21:17:13.079+01:00PAC led 1960 Poisitve Action Campaign Route from Dube<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date: </span>08 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide:</span> Raselepe Nthaledi (PAC member)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facilitator:</span> Ali Hlongwane, (curator HPMM)<br /><br />On the 8th August 2006, Raselepe Nthaledi, Ali Hlongwane, and I retraced the 1960 Positive Action Campaign route through Soweto from Nthaledi’s house in Dube Soweto. Nthaledi was called upon early on March 21, 1960 by his comrade and then treasurer of the PAC, Jerry Leeuw, who lived down the road on the corner of Wycliff and Butshingi Streets. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101236375/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1336/1101236375_c0c092fef9_m.jpg" alt="Jerry Leeu's House" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span>Jerry Leeuw’s home on the corner of Wycliff and Butshingi Streets. <br /></div><br />Together, Leeuw and Raselepe walked up Tshabangu Street, turned left into Modiba Street and then right into Chalker Street and immediately right again into Merapelo Street. A little further on, they made a small detour to collect an old man who lived on Thabo Street. The old man was not feeling well and did not want to march so the two men continued to collect Mr. Nkula who lived closed by on Tsekedi Street before heading up the road to wait for other groups to arrive at Maponya Stores. <br /> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101237583/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/1101237583_026b8cdb20_m.jpg" alt="Maponya Stores" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure 57: </span>The bus stop near Maponya Stores where PAC members waited on route to Orlando Police Station. <br /></div><br />Mr Nthaledi’s group joined other groups outside Maponya Stores and continued further on Pela Street past the HPMM on their way down towards the Klipspruit River. They crossed over and turned left into Mooki Street and walked up to the end point of the march at Orlando Police Station. A little while later he was arrested and detained for incitement.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-53044505071676688572007-08-21T20:27:00.000+01:002007-08-21T21:02:22.863+01:00PAC Led Positive Action Campaign Route from Mofolo<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date:</span> 08 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide:</span> John Mahapa (PAC member)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facilitator:</span> Ali Hlongwane (Curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Observer:</span> Milos Sajin<br /><br />John Mahapa is a member of the PAC. On the 21 March 1960, Mahapa began his march against the pass laws of the Union of South Africa. His march started outside the house of the general secretary of the PAC, Potlako K. Leballo in Mofolo and ended at the Orlando Police Station where he asked to be arrested for failing to carry a pass book.<br /><br />Mahapa explained, “Congress of December 1959 resolved a date for an anti-pass campaign to begin in February 1960. On the 21 March all African males who were pass carrying needed to leave their passes at home and surrender themselves to the nearest police Station”. This action was taken in order to bring the economy to a standstill as the labour force would be behind bars.<br /><br />On the 8th of August 2006, John Mahapa, Ali Hlongwane, Milos Sajin and I retraced Mahapa’s route through Soweto. The beginning point for our route was the former home of the PAC Secretary General, Mr. P.K. Leballo near Mofolo Park. Forty-six years later, the landscape of Soweto has changed much. Most houses have been upgraded and don’t bear any resemblance to the original township houses. These factors made the identification of P.K. Leballo’s house somewhat difficult but we eventually found the house, number 1144 on Nhlapo Street. This is where the Mofolo group started early on March 21, 1960. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101204275/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1001/1101204275_cc96424321_m.jpg" alt="Looking for the House" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure :</span> John Mahapa looking for P.K Leballo's house<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101204245/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1176/1101204245_42cb9eb92f_m.jpg" alt="John Mahapa outside PK Leballo's House" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span>John Mahapa with current resident of house number 1144 Nhlapo Street Mofolo, the former house of the PAC Secretary General Mr. P.K. Leballo <br /></div><br />According to Mahapa, a group of twenty people started outside 1144 Nhalpo Street in Mofolo. The group began their march at 06h00am. They marched up Mncube Street. At the corner, near Maponya Stores, they joined another group from Dube before proceeding down Mahalafele Street and then down Kumalo Street, across the Klipspruit River before turning left into Mooki Street where they waited under the shade of a bluegum tree outside the Orlando Police Station. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/923536117/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1328/923536117_b8b06f8552.jpg" alt="John Mahapa PAC" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span>John Mahapa standing across the Orlando Police Station. Forty-six years ago, this is where PAC members waited to be arrested, under the shade of a bluegum tree. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/877605672/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1132/877605672_40668c5a12_m.jpg" alt="blue gum tree 1960" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span>John Mahapa shares a picture of the (uprooted) blue gum tree<br /></div><br />PAC members waited all morning to be arrested and soon became hungry. By lunch time group thinned out to eat and according to Mahapa, this is when 72 members were arrested. When the remaining group returned, the police station gates were closed. Mahapa jokingly related how he planned to go to the movies later that afternoon failing detention. He wanted to watch the classic movie, Bridge on The River Kwai, starring William Holden. Mahapa was arrested, however, and was taken to magistrate court and punished with 10 lashes instead.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-61146710989153012582007-08-21T12:40:00.000+01:002007-08-21T14:33:02.723+01:00Robert Sobukwe and the PAC Positive Action Campaign against the Pass Laws Act of 1952.<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> Benjamin Pogrund & Robert Sobukwe (<a href="http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe.htm">http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe.htm</a>)<br /></div><br />On March 18th 1960, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the leader of the PAC announced at a press conference that the PAC would launch the first phase of its ‘programme’ for the liberation of South Africa on Monday, March 21, 1960. The target of this campaign would be the pass laws. A door-to-door campaign was reinforced with a call on all pass-carrying African men to leave their passes at home, march to the police stations nearest them and demand to be arrested for refusing to carry a pass (www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe_bio.htm).<br /><br />In the build-up to 21 March, the PAC President, wrote to the Police Commissioner in Cape Town asking him to instruct his men not to allow themselves to be provoked into violence:<br /><br />“Sir: My organization, the Pan-African Congress, will be starting a sustained, disciplined, non-violent campaign against the pass laws on Monday, 21 March 1960. I have given strict instructions, not only to members of my organization but to the African people in general, that they should not allow themselves to be provoked into violent action by anyone. It is unfortunately true that many white policemen, brought up in the racist hothouse of South Africa, regard themselves as champions of white supremacy, and not as law officers. In the African they see the enemy, a threat, not to “law and order” but to their privileges as whites.<br /><br />I, therefore, appeal to you to instruct your men not to give impossible demands to my people…”<br /><br />- Extract from Robert Sobukwe’s letter to SAP, Major-General C.I. Rademeyer (Pogrund 1990:123).<br /><br />Early in the morning of Monday, 21 March 1960, Robert Sobukwe left his house with six of his colleagues. They walked down the street towards the main tarred road. Here, they turned right towards the grocery store owned by Tshabalala. They were met by 10 – 15 men and after a while the group set off up the hill towards Dube Station and turned right to head for Orlando Police Station about 4.5 km away. An hour later, they reached the police station. There were scores of protestors already at the police station when Sobukwe’s group got there. (Pogrund 1990)<br /><br />By 08h20am, Sobukwe, Leballo and others walked through the gates of Orlando Police station and requested to be arrested for not carrying any passes. In the charge office Captain J.J de Wet Steyn was a bit annoyed at being disturbed and asked Sobukwe and the others to wait outside the police station. He later came outside and warned the crowd not to make a noise or he would “take steps” (Pogrund 1990:131).<br /><br />And so the PAC men spent the first half of the morning waiting across the road under the shade of a bluegum tree. It was during this period that Sobukwe learnt that police had opened fire at Bophelong and he was visibly upset. Pogrund, decided to drive to Vereeniging to see what was happening. (Pogrund 1990)<br /><br />By 11:20am a policeman came outside and called out the names of the PAC leadership. Sobukwe, Leballo and the other core members were placed under arrest for ‘incitement’. The police asked the remaining members to leave, but the PAC members insisted that they wanted to be with their leaders, so the police arrested the remaining group.<br /><br />Later that afternoon police opened fire on people in Sharpville. The precise number of deaths is uncertain, and has been variously stated as 67, 69 or 71 (Pogrund 1990). 186 people were injured, 40 women and 8 children. 75% of victims were shot in the back whilst three policemen were slightly injured by stones. (Pogrund 1990)<br /><br />During the day, information of the Sharpville massacre reached Sobukwe. He was extremely disturbed by the news but urged his comrades to remain calm. Sobukwe and his colleagues were sentenced to three years under 'incitement laws', but before his term of imprisonment ended on Robben Island, the government introduced an amendment to the law enabling them to keep Sobukwe and others in indefinite detention. (http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe_bio.htm)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span><br /><br />1. Historical Papers, Wits University, http://www.wits.ac.za/histp/sobukwe.htm<br />2. Pogrund, P. (1990): How Can Man Die Better: The Life of Robert Sobukwe, Houghton Mifflin, South Africa.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-13533171777259752082007-08-19T09:35:00.000+01:002007-08-19T10:00:20.825+01:00Process: Madibane High School<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date:</span> 08 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide: </span>Ali Hlongwane (Curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter:</span> Ismail Farouk<br /><br />On the 8th of August 2006, Ali Hlongwane and I set off to retrace the route taken by students from Madibane High School in Diepkloof. The street layout of Diepkloof differs from the rest of Soweto. Most roads form crescents and there is an absence of street name signage. As mentioned before most major roads are named ‘Immink’, which adds to the confusion when trying to navigate the suburb.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102179242/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1322/1102179242_2c8a6a9183_m.jpg" alt="Madibane High School Start" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Madibane High School Route Starting Point</span><br /></div><br />After much difficulty, Ali and I located the spot on the eastern boundary of the school on Ramosi Street, where the small gate exit was located in 1976. Today the small gate is no longer in use and the school has been fenced off. This is where students began their march on June 16 1976 from Madibane high School. Ramosi Street forms a crescent and we followed the road in a northerly direction and then in an easterly direction before coming to a T-junction.<br /><br />We turned left into Patrick Street and right into the major Immink Road and proceeded south towards the intersection of Immink Road and Eben Cuyler Street. We crossed the intersection and stopped outside the sports grounds to our left. This is where students from Madibane High School joined the group from Junior Secondary School. Their intention was to march to Orlando stadium but news of the killing of Hector Pieterson filtered through and the intended march did not take place. Instead students became angry and set off on a rampage destroying all government administration buildings.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102158388/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/1102158388_3f1fffc4b5_m.jpg" alt="Diepkloof Sports Grounds" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">The meeting spot - Diepkloof Sports Grounds</span><br /></div><br />One of the buildings which was targeted was a WRAB beer hall which was located on the intersection of Eben Cuyler Street and Immink Road. The beer hall was looted and gutted by students on June 16. The looting was followed by drinking and partying, signaling that the next few days were destined to be spent at home. <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102164354/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/1102164354_27565bef7b_m.jpg" alt="WRAB Beer Hall Diepkloof" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The WRAB Beer Hall Site - Diepkloof</span><br /></div><br />A bit further down Eben Cuyler Street, Ali pointed out the “Blackjacks” offices. “Blackjacks” were police who enforced influx control. Today, the offices have been reduced to rubble. New social facilities are being developed on the site.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101283723/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1085/1101283723_5df28c1093_m.jpg" alt="Blackjacks Influx Control - Remainig Rubble" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Rubble from the original Blackjacks offices<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Diepkloof remained as one of most active townships in 1976 where running battles between police and students continued for some time later. For the rest of the year, all schools were closed, with no further learning taking place.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=""></span></div><p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br /></div>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-88096001993582501062007-08-19T05:54:00.000+01:002007-08-19T06:38:01.142+01:00Process: Junior Secondary School Route<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date:</span> 10 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide:</span> Ali Hlongwane (Curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk<br /><br />On the 10th of August 2006, Ali Hlongwane and I set off to retrace the Junior Secondary School route in Diepkloof. Junior Secondary School has been renamed to Bopasenatla High School and is located on Sono Street in Diepkloof. Sono Street exists on an east-west axis and was difficult to identify, mainly because of the absence street signs. Ali spent his childhood years in Diepkloof and has an intimate knowledge of the many passageways and unnamed roads which characterise the area. His knowledge and memory of the area was invaluable as we struggled to find appropriate street names. Our map of the Diepkloof area was highly inaccurate and still bears coded reference numbers as street names. To add to our confusion, Diepkloof has many streets and roads with the same name. Most roads are called ‘Immink’.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1104494911/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1105/1104494911_591e0ffff9_m.jpg" alt="Junior Secondary School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Junior Secondary School</span><br /></div><br />After documenting the current schoolyard, Ali pointed out an adjacent vacant lot which was the site of WRAB offices in 1976. The WRAB offices were destroyed in the aftermath of Hector Pieterson’s killing. The land has remained undeveloped ever since.<br /><br />We began by crossing Sono Street and walked in a northerly direction towards Mbila Street which forms a crescent. At the northern end of Mbila Street we proceeded through a pedestrian passageway which connects with Dlanga Street which also happens to form a crescent. We continued on our northerly trajectory through a second pedestrian passageway. The environmental conditions through both the passageways were very poor. The area was characterised by illegal dumping along the edges.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1166626525/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/1166626525_13228c2111_m.jpg" alt="Diepkloof Passageway" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">The first passageway</span><br /></div><br />At the northern end of the second passageway, we stopped near a dusty soccer field. From here we could clearly see Vulazamazibuko Higher Primary School just ahead. This is where Ali went to School in 1976. He commented on how he still remembers seeing large crowds of students emerging from the passageway which we had just walked through on their way to meet students from Madibane High School. This is where Ali joined the march.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1166623939/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1060/1166623939_aec84e2a8c_m.jpg" alt="Dusty Football" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Dusty Football Field</span><br /></div><br />On the northern boundary of Vulamazibuko Higher Primary School, on Tsekuhle Street, Ali pointed out the house of the Zulu shaman, Credo Mutwa. Credo Mutwa’s house was destroyed during the uprisings for comments he made regarding the negative nature of the uprisings. After a brief pause, we continued north on Immink Street. We stopped at the intersection of Immink and Eteza Streets, where Ali pointed out his childhood home to me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1166629815/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/1166629815_87bdd822dd_m.jpg" alt="Ali Childhood Home" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Ali Hlongwane's Childhood Home</span><br /></div><br />Ali commented on how drastically the environment has changed over thirty years. Further down Eteza Street, new larger residences have been built. One such residence, on the corner of Eteza and Umhanga Streets was a former WRAB office which was also attacked and destroyed during the uprisings. At the end of Eteza Street we paused and looked at the park and offices ahead. The offices ahead were WRAB administration buildings which were burnt and destroyed. Today, the former WRAB site is home to municipal rental offices. The park which surrounds the municipal offices exists in a poor, overgrown state. Ali commented that the park has been recently upgraded but a lack of management has led to its current poor condition.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101294815/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1084/1101294815_80170961b2_m.jpg" alt="Overgrown Park Diepkloof" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Overgrown Park Diepkloof</span><br /></div><br />We turned right up Immink Road and continued in a Northerly direction on our final part of our journey towards the sports grounds near Eben Cuyler Street. Here students joined the group from Madibane High School but instead of marching to Orlando Stadium as intended, news of Hector Pieterson’s death filtered through the ranks and the intended peaceful march turned to anger as students attacked buildings associated with the apartheid regime.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-17352480091038361922007-08-19T05:21:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:24:36.177+01:00The Uprisings in DiepkloofSteve Lebelo was a student from Madibane High School in Diepkloof. His life and future in the liberation struggle was shaped by the killing of his older brother Abe Lebelo who was killed on the 4th of August 1976. Following his death, Steve Lebelo decided to take on the liberation struggle as a personal goal (Brink and Malungane 2001).<br /><br />According to Lebelo, Diepkloof is steeped in the history of resistance going back to the 1940s and 50s, long before the location was established. The community resettled in Diepkloof in the second half of 50s and early 60s came from a tradition of resistance to Apartheid. The first group of families resettled in Diepkloof was drawn from the legendary Sophiatown, the freehold township held up as a model of resistance to white rule in South Africa (Lebelo 2006).<br /><br />Lebelo’s testimony claims that Diepkloof was as prepared for the revolt as were Naledi, White City and Orlando West. Madibane High School in Diepkloof was represented in the meeting that decided on the march and established the Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC). At Madibane High School students were notified of the march as early 14th June 1976. <br /><br /><blockquote>"From the morning assembly on 16 June 1976, Madibane High School students did not march into their classrooms. Instead, they headed to the centre of the township, having been joined by students from nearby Namedi Junior Secondary School. Both groups of students marched along Immink Drive towards the Diepkloof Sports Grounds. Here they were scheduled to meet with students from Bopa Senatla Junior Secondary School, and together march down Masopha Street towards Orlando Stadium .<br /><br />By the time the marching students reached the sports ground area, they had been joined by hundreds in the township. News of developments in Orlando West reached Diepkloof even before students could start the march down Masopha Street to Orlando Stadium. Because Diepkloof had Council police headquarters located next to the sports ground where students converged, they responded quickly to the threat, dismissing students with teargas.<br /><br />As the crowds scattered, mayhem followed. Students and unemployed youth returned and started attacking the nearby beer hall. The beer hall was gutted by fire within an hour and crowds from the township looted it. The next building to be attacked was the Council Offices in Zone 1, but by the time the students reached the offices, all white personnel had been evacuated. This followed the murder of Dr. Edelstein in White City earlier in the morning. By midday, students and unemployed youth were making their way home with large quantities of liquor looted from the beer hall. What followed was drinking and festivities, signaling that the next few days were destined to be spent at home." </blockquote><br />Extract from submission by Steve Lebelo (2006).Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-33676083086557899142007-08-16T22:42:00.000+01:002007-08-21T17:53:08.373+01:00Process: Tshesele High School Route<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date: </span>03 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide:</span> Antonette Sithole (June 16 Foundation)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter: </span>Ismail Farouk and S'phelele Nxumalo (ASM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Observer:</span> Oupa Moloto (June 16 Foundation)<br /><br />On Thursday 3rd August 2006, Our research group began to map the route taken by Antonette Sithole on June 16 1976 from Tshesele High School in Central Western Jabavu to Phefeni Junior Secondary in Orlando West. Sithole is Hector Pieterson's older sister. Today she works for the June 16 Foundation which is located within the Hector Pieterson Museum.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/923535937/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1430/923535937_a825814242_m.jpg" alt="Thesele High School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Tshesele High School</span><br /></div><br />At the beginning point, within the Tshesele school grounds, Sithole described how students from the nearby Morris Isaacson High School came to her school to collect students in their united march against the oppressive system. Sithole said, “We were very happy with pride, we were looking forward to uniting with other schools. It was the first time that students were without parents and so very happy. No one told us what to do and we were happy to miss school. Singing and chanting…we were told to be calm and not to provoke the police…We planned to walk on the main street but took short cuts to avoid police”.<br /><br />We left the school grounds and walked in a northerly direction on Diokane Street. I asked Sithole how her brother Hector got involved in the march, to which she replied, “The younger one's saw us leaving in our uniforms and wanted to join the excitement".<br /><br />We turned right off Diokane Street, into Mavi Street and left into Mlangeni Street and proceeded west towards Mputhi Street. At this point, Tshesele High students joined the main group from Morris Isaacson High School. Today a general dealer called Sizwe Stores is located at this meeting point. In 1976, there was a coal yard on the site. Oupa Moloto commented that there were about 2000 students in the group outside the coal yard.<br /><br />From this point, Sithole directed us north on Mputhi Street past the Mshenguville Squatter camp. We soon turned right onto Mwasi Street and proceeded through Mofolo Park on Mzilkatzi Street.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101204337/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1130/1101204337_fd89eaf4bc_m.jpg" alt="Trolley Pusher Mofolo" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Trolley Pusher on Mzilkatzi Street.</div><br />We turned right into Mptipa Street and stopped outside the home of Dr. Nthato Motlana. Dr. Motlana devoted his live to serving the community of Soweto. He was the founder of the Black Medical Discussion Group in the late sixties to raise funds for struggling medical students and was involved in many other community organisations (Mashabela 1987). It was here outside the home of Dr. Motlana where Tsietsie Mashinini addressed students warning them about a police presence and calling for calm.<br /><br />I asked Moloto how Tsietsie got to this point as he had just addressed another group of students at the landmark bridge on Machaba Street. Moloto explained that unmarked vehicles were used by the coordinators of the march on the day. He suggested that the vehicles were hired by members of the ANC. Tsietsie was driven around and was therefore able to address various groupings of students at various stages of the march.<br /><br />The route meandered along Mtipa Street and we soon turned uphill on Butshingi Street. At the top of Butshingi we turned right into Vilikazi Street. Further on Vilikazi Street we stopped at the official shooting site of Hector Pieterson on the corner of Vilikazi and Moema Streets. The memorial is often vandalised by youth who express themselves through graffiti.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/924517186/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1101/924517186_ed63e78127_m.jpg" alt="They Will Pay" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">The Memorialised Shooting Site</span><br /></div><br />According to Sithole, the location of the official shooting site differs from the actual spot where her brother was shot. She remembers the shooting site being closer to the corner of Moema and Phiri Streets where she was hiding in the yard of the corner house.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/904093743/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1168/904093743_0557e57d13_m.jpg" alt="Antonette Sithole" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Antonette Sithole relives the events of June 16 1976.</span><br /></div><br />I asked Sithole what happened here once she got here? Sithole relates: "When the shooting began, I went into hiding. When the shooting stopped, I came out of hiding when others came out. I saw Hector across the street, and I called him and waved at him, he came over and I spoke to him but more shots rang out and I went into hiding again. I thought he followed me but he did not come. I came out of hiding and waited at the spot where I just saw him but he did not come. When Mbuyiso came passed me a group of children were gathering nearby. He walked towards the group and picked up a body...And then I saw Hector's shoes".<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/924134756/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1329/924134756_0e2b2a1741_m.jpg" alt="Famous Photo Site" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">The Famous Photo Site</span><br /></div><br />A short time later Sithole was running beside Mbuyiso who was carrying Hector Pieterson. They headed towards Phomolong Clinic along Sisulu Street. Along the way, a photographer called Sam Nzima took the famous picture of the distressed children.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Whilst at the clinic Sithole watched a frenzied mob kill a white municipal worker who was later identified as J.N.B. Estherhuizen. He was dragged from his car and brutally killed. Estherhuizen was one of two white officials killed on the day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/878454287/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/878454287_baba36ead0_m.jpg" alt="phomolong cliinic" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Phomolong Clinic</span><br /></div><br />Hector Pieterson was pronounced dead here at Phomolong Clinic. Today, Sithole continues to keep her brother's memory alive with her work at the museum and as a public speaker. When not in the museum, she can be found on the streets of Soweto, physically laying the bricks on the the route taken by students on June 16 1976.<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--></span><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-3853670739322937572007-08-16T13:31:00.000+01:002007-08-16T20:00:21.750+01:00Process: Mapping The Naledi High School Route<span style="font-weight: bold;">Date: </span>22 August 2006<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Route Guide:</span> Patrick Lephunya, Regional Director of Soweto<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Facilitator: </span>Ali Hlongwane (Curator HPMM)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Documenter:</span> Ismail Farouk<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Observers: </span>Oupa Molota (June 16 Foundation),<br />Angel David Nieves, PHD. (Director Graduate Research & Training, Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity at Maryland University)<br /><br />On the 22nd of August 2006, our research team retraced the Naledi High School Route under the direction of Patrick Lephunya, the regional director of Soweto.We began our journey at the school where Lephunya described the events of the morning of June 16, “At assembly the principal NJK Molope came in and wanted to sing a hymn but students stood up and shouted out, ‘Amandla!’ and sang ‘Nkosi Sikelele Afrika’ instead. The students unfurled banners and plackards before heading off into the streets”.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101328609/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/1101328609_9c295e9a9e_m.jpg" alt="Naledi High School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Patrick Lephunya (left) describes the morning's events at Naledi High School</span><br /><br />Lephunya showed us the telephone lines outside the principal’s office which were cut in order to prohibit any calls to the police. Earlier, on the 9th June, two policeman came onto the school grounds to arrest a student. The student in question, Enos Ngutshane was wanted for questioning.<br /><blockquote>The principal came into our classroom and said, ‘hey, mmona (man) it looks like you are in trouble the police are here and they would like to go with you’. Then he went back to his office and continued the discussion with the police just to find out what is happening, “I took my bag instead of going to the principal’s office I went to the classrooms where the members of the South African Student Movement (SASM) were and said, ‘guys I’m in trouble the police are here to arrest me’. So there was a quick discussion and the guys said, ‘you know what don’t go to the office, you go back to your classroom and give us 10 minutes [Laughs]’. So I was looking at my watch exactly 10 minutes the bell went. But it was not natural; it wasn’t supposed to be ringing at that time. But they had done their work. They had already moved into all the classrooms to say the bell is going to ring and all of us must be at the assembly. So we went to the assembly and students were in one voice ‘you are not going anywhere’.<br />Later, Ngutshane walked in the principal’s office and said ‘this is the situation it looks like nobody is going to leave the school, including myself [Laughs]’. So there was pandemonium in the principal’s office. As the three of us were still talking, the white policeman, the principal and myself, the other police guy came in and said, ‘hey, the car is now on fire outside [Laughs].<br />The police car was destroyed, burnt and overturned. Unfortunately the students did not cut the telephone line on time and police reinforcements soon arrived.<br /><br />(Extract from an interview with Enos Ngutshane)</blockquote><br /><br />After, a brief inspection of the school grounds, and the memorial to those who lost their lives in a bus tragedy in Mozambique in 1974, our group set off in a hired mini bus.<br /><br />Contrary to popular belief, the Naledi High School Route does not make a beeline to Morris Isaacson School as illustrated by the proposed paving route on the Johannesburg Roads Agency map., The Naledi route remains highly contested. However, the initial stages of the route shown to us by Lephunya, is corroborated by Harry Mashabela in his book, “A People on the Boil”. The book contains a very detailed description of the initial stages of the Naledi High School Route.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102182802/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/1102182802_a4d9f225f3_m.jpg" alt="Batswana High School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Batswana High School</span><br /></div><br />Our first destination was Batswana Junior Secondary School, which is located close to Naledi High School in a South Eastern direction. Today, Batswana Junior Secondary School is known as Thabo Secondary School. Lephunya described how students from the school gathered at the small gate as they waited for the Naledi group to arrive before heading off to Thomas Mofolo High School.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1102187970/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1322/1102187970_6685942aae_m.jpg" alt="Thomas Mofolo High School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Thomas Mofolo High School</span><br /></div><br />At Thomas Mofolo Senior Secondary School, a further 500 students waited to merge with the Naledi group. Our journey continued down Mpetslane Street where Lephunya pointed his mother’s house out. On the morning of the march Lephunya stopped here to drop his school books off before continuing with the march. He also added that there were no incidents at this point of the march.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101204403/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1150/1101204403_8494424546_m.jpg" alt="Tdladi Secondary School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Tladi Secondary School</span><br /></div><br />Lephunya directed the minibus right and then left onto Legwale Street before turning left onto Thamagane Street where more students from Tladi Secondary School joined the march. We meandered through tiny unnamed residential streets, and a few sharp turns later we found ourselves back on the main road, Masiane Street. Our next stop was Moletsane High School where students asked us to photograph them in front of the school. We continued on Masiane Street and turned right into Mphahlele Street where we stopped outside Mphahlele High School.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/1101351709/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1008/1101351709_14314498c3_m.jpg" alt="Moletsane High School" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Moletsane High School</span><br /></div><br />The next part of the route is where the greatest contestation lies. The plan on the day was to merge with students from Morris Isaacson High School and this is supported by Harry Mashabela’s book, which describes the scene when the Naledi group arrived at Morris Isaacson High School to find the school deserted with a sign at the gate which read, “No SB’s – Trespassers Beware!”. Lephunya’s route, however, does not include Morris Isaacson High School, rather it meanders through the ‘big circle’, at Letabe Street in Central Western Jabavu, east of Morris Isaacson High.<br /><br />An explanation for the contestation can be found in the fact that not all students followed the same path. While the majority of students may have taken the path described by Lephunya, it is possible that some students from Naledi walked along Makapan Street before turning right into Mputhi Street towards Morris Isaacson High School. This possibility can be explained by the testimony of Solly Mpshe in the book “June 16 1976” by Brink and Malungane (2001). Mpshe was a student at Morris Isaacson High School. He relates being forced out of his class and being forced to march despite not knowing what was going on. He says that this occurred during the second period around 09.30am and places responsibility for being forced into marching on students from Naledi High School (Brink and Malungane 2001:39).<br /><br />Lephunya’s route continued on Letabe Street in a northerly direction until the street changes name to the Moroko Nancefield Road. We turned left into Mncube Street and continued westwards towards Mahalefele Street. We turned right on Mahalefele Street but instead of turning towards Vilikazi Street, the end point for many other school routes, we continued down towards the Klipspruit River close to the point where Hastings Ndlovu was killed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ismailfarouk/924517046/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1053/924517046_8d5fade50e_m.jpg" alt="Hastings Ndlovu Shooting Site" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Figure:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Hastings Ndlovu Shooting Site</span><br /></div><br />We stopped just before the bridge on Kumalo Street. On the other side of the bridge is where police were reported to have congregated. Lephunya’s version of the Naledi High School route ends here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:<br /></span><br />1. Brink, E. and Malungane, G. (2001): Soweto 16 June 1976, Personal accounts of the Uprisings, Kwela Books, Cape Town.<br />2. Mashabela, H. (1987): A People on the Boil, Reflections on Soweto, Skotaville, Publishers, Johannesburg and Cape Town.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-6062277787983222212007-07-15T18:06:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:19:07.723+01:00The Events Leading To The Uprisings<span style="font-size:85%;"></span>In 1974, the Director of Bantu Education in the Southern Transvaal (Mr Ackerman) issued a directive compelling school boards and principals of schools to use Afrikaans as the primary means of instruction. This directive followed an earlier imposition which divided school boards along ethnic lines. This ethnic division ensured that African children from the various ethnic groups would no longer be educated in the same classroom.<br /><br />Previously, the choice between English and Afrikaans had rested in the hands of the community. With the freedom of choice taken away and with the enforcement of Afrikaans, parents, principals and the tribal school boards were naturally distraught. They saw the injunction as politically motivated and appealed to Ackerman to withdraw his ruling, but he remained unmoved.<br /><br />The school boards in Soweto combined forces in August 1975 and formed the Federal Council of Transvaal School Boards, in order to deal with the language imposition with one voice. However, resistance to the Afrikaans directive was met with harsh consequences. In February 1976, Ackerman’s board fired members of the Tswana School Board for being too stubborn. Other members of the board resigned and parents of the represented school children supported them in their actions.<br /><br />A crisis in education had developed. Disillusioned youth had watched their parents and teachers fail in attempts to reverse the Afrikaans instruction directive. On May 17th, students from Phefeni Junior Secondary School refused the imposition of Afrikaans instruction and began a boycott of classes. The students demanded to see the circuit inspector of African schools, M C de Beer. When he refused to meet with them, the students turned to violent action by first damaging the principal’s car and then stoning his office. De Beer reacted by threatening to expel the students but they continued their boycott of classes with the support of four other schools in Soweto.<br /><br />Students were far more radical than their moderate parents. “Our parents are prepared to suffer under the white man’s rule. They have been living for years under these laws and have become immune to them. But we strongly refuse to swallow an education system that is designed to make us slaves in the country of our birth”, wrote a student in a letter to The World newspaper. (Hopkins and Grange 2001) <br /><br />On June 9 1976, two policemen drove into Naledi High School to arrest a student for questioning. The principal warned them not to do so in the presence of other students. The policeman were confronted by angry students and needed to lock themselves in the principal’s office in order to escape the angry mob of students. Whilst in the principal’s office, the students set the police car alight. <br /><br />It was around this period, with the banning of the ANC and the PAC, that a political vacuum was created. Leaders of both organizations were subsequently detained. Any political activity which lingered after the Sharpeville massacre ended with the Rivonia Treason Trail and subsequent life long jailing of Nelson Mandela, the ANC President along with others. Black Consciousness was born out of this political vacuum. The Cillie Commission found that the immediate cause of the riots related to the policy on language instruction at school but this was only one of the causes. Other grounds for dissatisfaction included: <ul><li>The black consciousness movement (Cillie:601);</li><li>Political and military events in South Africa</li><li>The homelands policy</li><li>Influx control </li><li>Actions of the Administration Boards </li><li>UBC </li><li>Lack of citizenship related to the homelands policy</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sources:</span><br /><br /><ol><li>The Cillie Commission, (1980): Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the riots at Soweto and other places in the Republic of South Africa during June 1976. Also: Unpublished minutes of evidence Volumes 1-69. </li><li>Mashabela, H. (1987): A People on the Boil, Reflections on Soweto, Skotaville, Publishers, Johannesburg and Cape Town. </li><li>Hopkins, P. and Helen G. (2001): The Rocky Rioter Teargas Show: The Inside Story of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, Cape Town, Zebra Publishers.</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-39041221126335705262007-07-10T00:31:00.000+01:002007-07-15T19:15:25.504+01:00Robert Berold's Story: Morris Isaacson High School<span style="font-style: italic;" lang="EN-GB">Robert Berold was a white english teacher at Morris Isaacson School in 1976. On June 16th his life was saved by an unknown student. Here is his story:</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p>I was driving in my yellow Peugeot 404 bakkie which was our wedding present a few months ago.<span style=""> </span>It was a cold sunny Wednesday.<span style=""> </span>On the seat was a tape player with the<span style=""> </span>Fairport Convention singing their version of "Sir Patrick Spens":<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span><i><span lang="EN-GB">I saw the new moon late yestreen<o:p></o:p><br />with the old moon in her arms<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p>I was teaching (illegally) in Soweto. Sir Patrick Spens was one of our matric poems.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>For weeks the tension had been getting tighter and tighter.<span style=""> </span>Dr Andries Treunicht the ex-dominee who headed the Department of Bantu Education had decided that schools – some schools anyway – were to be taught in the medium of Afrikaans. That meant all subjects – geography, maths, whatever – would be taught in Afrikaans.<span style=""> </span>A provocative and crazy idea. <span style=""> </span>Treurnicht knew that black students were weak in Afrikaans, in fact hated Afrikaans, the language of the oppressor.<span style=""> </span>So why was he doing this?<span style=""> </span>Sheer shit-headedness, the racist drive to be as shit to blacks as possible.<span style=""> </span>The parents had formed a committee and gone to see the minister, but<span style=""> </span>Treurnicht was not backing down.<span style=""> </span>The deadline was next week.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>Every morning I drove from our communal house in Houghton, onto the M1 South<span style=""> </span>into Booysens, onto the no-man's-land road to Soweto, Diepkloof, left past Orlando Stadium, past the very first red brick houses, past the Orlando police station with its blue light and twitching radio masts, over the bridge to Phefeni, up to Maponya's store,<span style=""> </span>down through the pleasant trees of Mofolo village, into the sea of asbestos roofs of White City Jabavu, up the hill and left into the Morris Isaacson Senior Secondary School yard enclosed in scraggly wire.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>This morning no students were to be seen.<span style=""> </span>Fanyano Mazibuko, the maths teacher, was driving out in his white VW beetle.<span style=""> </span>'The students have all gone out on a march' he said, 'I'm going to look for them.'<span style=""> </span>It didn't look like Patrick Spens would get a hearing today.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>I'd joined Morris Isaacson because I wanted to be in a black environment, which was a hard thing to do in the 1970s and usually illegal.<span style=""> </span>For various reasons or delusions I trusted black people more than whites.<span style=""> </span>When I came here I offered to teach maths but Mathebathe the headmaster said 'We need you to teach English, it's your home language, we can learn from you'.<span style=""> </span>So here I was, my first teaching job, unqualified to teach, with huge classes, 50 or more kids, getting to grips with a ridiculous rote-learning syllabus. Silly textbooks, lists of comparisons, of idioms, all had to be learned off by heart.<span style=""> </span>As white as snow, as black as pitch.<span style=""> </span>As fast as a stolen car, one student wrote.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>I had literary ambitions for them.<span style=""> </span>I'd started a class library, got them to read books, introduced them to contemporary black poetry.<span style=""> </span>They didn't feel the same way, they just wanted to get through their exams. They were curious about me, though, and once they'd established that I was too naive to be a police spy, they were friendly.<span style=""> </span>Occasionally the daring guys from the Black Consciousness Movement would come to the school.<span style=""> </span>The whole school would walk out of class for an hour while they addressed them.<span style=""> </span>South Africa was going to be free, they said.<span style=""> </span>Black man, you are on your own.<span style=""> </span>Then they would disappear before the police could catch them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>For the past week, as the tension had been rising, posters had been going up 'YESTERDAY MOZAMBIQUE TODAY ZIMBABWE TOMORROW AZANIA'<br />'AFRIKAANS -- LANGUAGE OF THE OPPRESSOR'</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">And now today the whole school had gone off before assembly, marching to Naledi High.<span style=""> </span>Nobody knew about it, not even the teachers. As I heard about it later, they were picking up each school and marching to the next one.<span style=""> </span>The headmaster came and told the bored staff to stay in the staffroom.<span style=""> </span>The students would be back soon, he said.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>A few hours passed. The staff room was large and dark. Outside it was a bright winter morning.<span style=""> </span>I was reading a library book, a Time-Life book on the religions of the world.<span style=""> </span>Buddhist monks with shaved heads in yellow robes were praying in a temple somewhere in Asia.<span style=""> </span>Then a boy burst into the room, running, very distressed.<span style=""> </span>The students had been blocked by the police at the Orlando Bridge.<span style=""> </span>They'd been shot at, and some students had been shot dead.<span style=""> </span>And now they were on the rampage, burning buildings and cars.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>We rushed outside. <span style=""> </span>From the direction of Orlando, there were plumes of smoke rising.<span style=""> </span>What now?<span style=""> </span>Stay put, said the headmaster. More students arrived, out of breath, frightened, angry.<span style=""> </span>Some of them had looted a liquor van and brought bottles of booze for the staff.<span style=""> </span>Some of the male teachers started drinking voraciously.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>I went outside again.<span style=""> </span>The plumes of smoke were closer now.<span style=""> </span>Not far away, in Jabavu, a building was burning, I could see the flames.<span style=""> </span>Students were running in the streets.<span style=""> </span>A white man was driving a municipality van, swaying from side to side down the road.<span style=""> </span>His windscreen had been smashed and his face was bleeding.<span style=""> </span>Boys threw rocks, they hit the car, but he carried on driving, bleeding.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>Next thing the school was swarming with students, angry, running, like an ants nest that had been turned over.<span style=""> </span>Some of them saw me, one of them shouted Hey Mr Berold, you'd better hide, these students have killed whites they will kill you!<span style=""> </span>The same boy took me to the book room, a big walk-in room with a security door where the textbooks were stored.<span style=""> </span>He told one of the teachers –<span style=""> </span>you must lock him in here until the other students have gone. I stood in the bookroom listening to angry voices, slogans being shouted.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>The students went off, running, and I was allowed out.<span style=""> </span>Back in the staffroom,<span style=""> </span>some of the teachers were now completely drunk from all the free booze.<span style=""> </span>A building quite near the school was burning.<span style=""> </span>We sat there in the semi-dark.<span style=""> </span>How will I get out, in my brand new yellow car?<span style=""> </span>We can take you in the boot of one of our cars, says one of the teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>The door burst open again.<span style=""> </span>A scary sight – about 20 white soldiers in camouflage uniform.<span style=""> </span>Or maybe they're policemen.<span style=""> </span>They’re wild-eyed.<span style=""> </span>All of them have sten guns.<span style=""> </span>They glare at the black teachers like I've been taken prisoner.<span style=""> </span>Their commander is<span style=""> </span>dressed in a purple suit.<span style=""> </span>'Who are you?'<span style=""> </span>he says to me.<span style=""> </span>'I work here'<span style=""> </span>'You better come with us'.<span style=""> </span>I say goodbye to the teachers, feeling ashamed of being white, being claimed by these men with guns.<span style=""> </span>Outside in the road there is a column of vehicles,<span style=""> </span>an armoured car in the front and one behind.<span style=""> </span>It's a convoy rescuing stranded whites.<span style=""> </span>The street is lined with silent people, some of them my students.<span style=""> </span>The police keep pointing their gun at the crowd, some of which scatters.<span style=""> </span>The convoy moves slowly.<span style=""> </span>I look at the angry mournful eyes.<span style=""> </span>At one point the convoy stops, the police jump out angrily, students run madly across the veld, away from the guns.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>Next thing I am in Booysens again, the busy everyday traffic of<span style=""> </span>industrial downtown Johannesburg.<span style=""> </span>The human storm hasn't reached here. Nobody yet knows what is happening in Soweto, not even the parents of the children who've been shot at.<span style=""> </span><br /><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p>I </o:p>drive home with my tape recorder and Sir Patrick Spens.<span style=""> </span>I don't know what to do or say.<span style=""> </span>I lie down on the lawn of our communal house and try to think.<span style=""> </span>There is nothing to think.<span style=""> </span>I hear a loud noise overhead like a giant lawnmower, three army helicopters travelling southwest.<span style=""> </span>I know where they're going. To Soweto. It's a chilling feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>That evening I go over to my parents' house.<span style=""> </span>TV has just started up in South Africa.<span style=""> </span>The only good programme, which I watch with them every Wednesday, is about the Second World War, called The World at War. Before that, the news. Some disturbance in Soweto.<span style=""> </span>Nothing about children getting killed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>Over the next three days, 300 people died in Soweto, as children set up roadblocks,<span style=""> </span>ignored their parents, and fought police with stones and petrol bombs.<span style=""> </span>Morris Isaacson didn't open for classes for another two years.<span style=""> </span>I wrote later, in a poem</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>I<span style=""> </span>was lucky <o:p></o:p><br />the winds of blood blew past me</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p>I wish I knew the name of the boy who locked me in the bookroom.<span style=""> </span>He saved my life.</span></p>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-46521925973480700432007-07-10T00:27:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:39:24.542+01:00The official version of the Soweto Uprisings<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" >Nigel Mandy’s version of the morning of June 16 1976 is based on the findings of the Cillie Commission’s report. He provides justification for the police intervention by questioning the legality of the march.<span style=""> </span>According to Mandy, a 1968 regulation provided that no public meeting or march could be held in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Soweto</st1:city></st1:place> without WRAB’s permission. The Cillie Commission report maintains that police were not aware of the intention of the students to march through the streets. Either way it was their duty to prevent an illegal march. A witness suggested that they should have stopped the students at the school and sent them home. Whether the police would have been successful in such an attempt to prevent the march by thousands of pupils and at the same time to keep the peace, cannot be established with certainty; they were unaware of the intentions and preparations, and therefore no such attempt was made to prevent the march and to keep the peace. As the march advanced a long way by the time police realised what was happening, it was their duty to stop the march and disperse the crowds (Cillie: 106).<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p>Mandy’s version of the confrontation describes how the police convoy stopped about 100 paces from the crowd on <st1:street st="on"><st1:address st="on">Vilikazi Street</st1:address></st1:street>. Col. Kleingeld shouted for the crowd to stand still. His voice was drowned by the uproar and the sound of stones raining down on his men and vehicles. He did not have a loud hailer and therefore no effective order had been given to the crowd to disperse. (Mandy 1982)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p>Col. Kleingeld then decided to disperse the crowd with tear gas but only one tear gas canister exploded. This action provoked a rain of stones from the students from all sides. The Colonel fired two warning shots into the air and ordered a baton charge. The baton charge was unsuccessful and two police dogs were killed. (Mandy 1982).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-ZA" ><o:p></o:p>Mandy’s version continues by describing how the outnumbered policemen were encircled by angry students. According to Mandy, the policemen feared for their lives and he justifies the shooting which followed as moderate and controlled, reporting only 2 deaths and 11 injuries during the confrontation. (Mandy 1982:198).<o:p></o:p></span></p>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-2531842471931255012007-07-09T23:59:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:41:14.945+01:00Soweto and the Defiance Campaign<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Apartheid_sign.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Apartheid_sign.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The name Soweto is an acronym for the south-western townships of Johannesburg. The name Soweto was adopted in 1963 after a special committee held a naming competition for the township where hundreds of entries were submitted. Five suggestions were recommended, Soweto, Sawesko, Swestown, Phaphama Villages and Partheid Townships. The name Soweto was already in use before the special committee officially announced that is had been selected (Mandy 1982).<br /><br />Soweto is a symbol of South Africa’s policy of apartheid, which refused to accept the mixing of races. Urban black people were relegated to a city with two cinemas, two banks and no supermarket. This was to the advantage of white businessmen as blacks were forced shop in Johannesburg CBD.<br /><br />There were many oppressive laws and measures aimed at repressing black people. The repressive laws laid the foundation for the mass-based defiance campaign intent on liberation. The defiance campaign received support from all sectors of society. This changed perceptions of some members of the ANC with regards to Africanism. Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu began to have second thoughts about Africanism and embraced multiculturalism. This was reaffirmed by the Freedom Charter, which was adopted in 1955 in Kliptown, Soweto, to represent the demands of a disenfranchised black community. It was this issue, multiculturalism that led to the breakaway by Zeph Mothopeng and Robert Sobukwe and the forming of the Pan African Congress (PAC) in 1959 (Mashabela 1984).Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-36329594892879923822007-06-07T13:42:00.000+01:002007-08-21T11:35:37.525+01:00We Cannot Continue To Die Like This<embed style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="" flashvars=""></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >A Movie By <a href="http://babakfakhamzadeh.com/">Babak Fakhamzadeh </a>and <a href="http://www.ismailfarouk.com/">Ismail Farouk</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Avalon Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in South Africa and is the final resting place of many political and cultural activists. The cemetery is about 170ha in size and is managed by the City of Johannesburg’s City Parks division. At the entrance to the cemetery, a memorial with the words, “Never Never Again” inscribed on it pays tribute to those who lost their lives in the Soweto uprisings of 1976. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Avalon Cemetery is facing severe pressure. With the death rate is increasing by 10% per year and more than 200 funerals occurring each weekend, the cemetery is running out of space. Compounding the problem is the Aids pandemic. With more than 6.5 million of the country's 47 million people infected with HIV, demand for space is increasing. Every weekend, convoys of buses carrying mourners bring the Old Potchefstroom Road to a standstill. This has resulted in special traffic marshals being deployed to deal with the traffic congestion every weekend. Cremation is not considered appropriate for most people so City Parks are encouraging families to consider the “second burial” option, where several members of a family are buried in the same grave. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">“We Cannot Continue to Die like this” is a short animated movie which responds to the pressures experienced by the cemetery because of the increase of funerals as a direct result of AIDS related deaths. The film frames the dense weekend funeral traffic in relationship to the 1976 memorial located at the entrance of the cemetery. This is done to bring about awareness to the current day struggle our society is experiencing. History is represented by the memorial to fallen heroes of 1976 - history will demand to know where our leaders are now, when this preventable disease continues to kill millions of people.</span></span><span style=""><span id="wholedescr" class="visible"></span></span>Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-42989596979880535392007-05-18T13:58:00.001+01:002007-07-15T15:12:33.599+01:00Nothing changes: Same Shit, Different DayA work by Babak Fakhamzadeh, available on Flickr:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastababa/503104977/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/503104977_cfba773f32_m.jpg" width="240" height="184" alt="Nothing changes: Same Shit, Different Day" /></a></center>Babak Fakhamzadehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15554180492985876788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-78489385250661447172007-04-09T19:24:00.000+01:002007-07-15T15:12:33.599+01:00Hector Pieterson videoramaThis composite videorama consists of four individual videos, stitched together like a panorama. The videos were taken in front of the Hector Pieterson museum. The monument on the right is the Hector Pieterson monument.<br /><br /><center><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="" flashvars=""> </embed></center>Babak Fakhamzadehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15554180492985876788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-7383968012686450952007-03-07T14:23:00.000+02:002007-03-11T12:16:15.250+02:00March 9, 3pm: Talk at WitsIsmail Farouk and Babak Fakhamzadeh talked about the technical and social aspects of Soweto uprisings . com at Wits university's digital soiree on March 9th at 3pm.<br /><br />Here's the poster:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastababa/413475260/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/413475260_fbf271e873_m.jpg" width="240" height="170" alt="Design for a poster for a talk at the University of Witwatersrand" /></a></center><br /><br />And here's the presentation:<br /><br />PDF: <a href="http://sowetouprisings.com/site/blog/Soweto-uprisings-for-Wits-final.pdf">Soweto uprisings presentation</a> <br />PPT: <a href="http://sowetouprisings.com/site/blog/Soweto-uprisings-for-Wits-final.ppt">Soweto uprisings presentation</a>Babak Fakhamzadehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15554180492985876788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33949614.post-1164140593930062712006-11-21T21:58:00.000+02:002007-08-21T11:42:07.876+01:00Why Hector Pieterson?Today it is widely known that Hector Pieterson was not the first child killed on June 16 1976. The first to die was Hastings Ndlovu. So why do we memorialise Hector Pieterson and not Hastings Ndlovu?<br /><br />A primary reason is because Hector Pieterson’s death was captured by photographer Sam Nzima. The photograph depicts Hector Pieterson being carried by an older boy with his sister running alongside. This famous photograph was plastered on newspaper front pages globally, bringing much attention to the actions of the police and the plight of the school children in Soweto. Today, this image has become an icon, an instrument of collective history and memory.<br /><br />In the aftermath of the violence, a mass burial was planned for the dead. An application to hold a mass burial was made to the Johannesburg Chief Magistrate which was denied. Further attempts to list all the dead were foiled by the police as the bereaved families were denied access to the bodies of the dead.<br /><br />A decision was made to hold a symbolic funeral using Hector Pieterson’s funeral as a symbol for all those who lost their lives during the Soweto uprisings of 1976.Ismail Faroukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17426150285161803346noreply@blogger.com