Wednesday, 5 February 2020 - Johannesburg, South Africa
There is another sad story here. South Africa is full of sad stories as a result of the apartheid rule. And what I gather from the locals are that although apartheid is officially abolished, there is still racism here and therefore still a lot of resentment, anger and frustration. In 1976, the government of South Africa wanted to introduce the Afrikaans language as a compulsory language in all schools. This was a language mainly used by whites and so the blacks were not happy about this ruling; it was yet another white rule forced upon blacks.
Students therefore organised a protest which was to take place on 16 June 1976; they decided not to tell their parents or teachers about the protest. By 10.30 a.m. there were between 5-6,000 students gathered at Phefeni Junior Secondary School. It was a peaceful protest, students gathered and sang songs in their native languages.
The police officers dispatched to the march were unprepared. They had no loudhailers so their command to disperse was barely heard. Then they released their dogs into the crowd, causing utter panic. Then a policeman started shooting at the children; one bullet hit a 15 year old boy, and another a 13 year old boy named Hector Pieterson. Soon after, streets were barricaded, students were burning cars, government buildings and liquor stores across Soweto. The riot police arrived. And thus began the Soweto revolt.
Another 93 people were shot dead by the police over the next 2 days. Protests soon spread throughout the country. At least 600 students in total died, thousands wounded. After the uprising, Orlando West High, along with 310 other schools in Soweto, was immediately closed. 95 schools in Soweto were destroyed or damaged at the time. Despite the many deaths, injuries and destruction or damage to property, the Soweto revolt strengthened the liberation movement; the spirit and determination of the school children resonated around the world and helped motivate the struggle for freedom and democracy in South Africa.
I walked along part of the street where the students walked in protest back in 1976, past Orlando West High, and was in the exact spot where Hector Pieterson was shot by the police, which is near the Hector Pietorson Museum.
Just across the museum there were road-side stalls selling souveniers. In one of these stalls I saw a few chains where the locket or pendant was a lion’s tooth. The seller informed me that they are from lions that naturally died or were killed by other animals (lions are not allowed to be hunted in Africa) in Maasai Mara National Park, Kenya. I can’t be sure if it’s real but it was the only stall there selling this chain and it certainly looked real so I bought one. Real or not, I shall imagine that it is and feel like a lioness whenever I wear it 😁.
And that was the city tour. In the evening my friend Andre came to the hotel and we had drinks and caught up with old times. Sometimes it’s nice to catch up with old acquaintances; especially acquaintances who are just that: acquaintances and not someone disguised as a friend 🙄. Andre is from South Africa but he has never been to any country in Africa apart from South Africa itself. But he is intending to start travelling soon; he has just bought a camper van. He has also joined a friend of his in a company supplying labour and this got me thinking, I should also have a firm of my own with a partner so that I can take off whenever and she will take care of business, and vice versa. And come what may, we will always have something (income, that is) to come home to.
The problem, as always, is finding someone reliable 🙄.
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