Youth Day: June 16
Youth Day is a public holiday celebrated in South Africa.
Youth Day has been celebrated in South Africa on June 16 since 1976 as a reaction to the series of clashes which happened in Soweto of South Africa. After the clashes, unofficial totals of between 200 and 600 dead are given despite the fact that the government claimed as few as only 23 people were killed. The people of South Africa started celebrating Youth Day in memory of all those innocent people who died during the clash.
History of Youth Day in South Africa
The reasons for the protests are complex, but one of the major issues for protestors was the requirement of using Afrikaans in educational institutions. Afrikaans is an Indo-European language derived from Dutch.
Many student organizations conducted non-violent marches, yet the police frequently pushed back against the protestors. People died in several places like Port Elizabeth and Cape Town because of successive attacks by the police on the non-violent student organizations. Due to a mixture of panic and anger, the students involved themselves in violence to protect and defend themselves from the police. Some batches of the police were armed with heavy weapons and were even driving armored vehicles.
At the peak of the violence, a young black child named Hector Peterson was shot dead by the police. Though several hundreds died, Hector, who was one of the first ones to be killed, became the icon representing the tragedy of the event. The picture of a dying Hector spread throughout the world by means of the media. The event brought immense sorrow to the people of South Africa, such that June 16 has since been celebrated as a symbol of resistance to all the cruel brutality of the government.
South Africa’s Youth Day Traditions, Customs and Activities
South Africa celebrates Youth Day in respect and memory of all those innocent lives that were killed during the protests. Through musical events, historical discussions, and educational displays, the South African people use this day to spread awareness and openness about the changes that have come to South Africa.
