8. The 1976 Soweto Uprising

Question 1

What were the 1976 Soweto uprising School students in black schools angry about about?

Answer 1

The 1976 Soweto uprising School students in black schools throughout South Africa were angry about the inferior system of Bantu Education, which had been in place since 1953.

Question 2

What had created a generation of angry young people by the early 1970s?

Answer 2

By the early 1970s the system had created a generation of angry young people, who were increasingly determined to bring about change.

Question 3

What did many young people do as a response to the apartheid system?

Answer 3

Many of them joined organisations, such as the South African Students’ Movement (SASM) and the Black Consciousness Organisation, which grew rapidly from 1973 onwards, especially in Soweto.

Question 4

How does the SASM branches function?

Answer 4

SASM branches functioned as forums for discussion of educational and political matters, and SASM produced a militant newspaper, Thrust.

Question 5

What was the government response to SASM?

Answer 5

The government response to SASM was to ban the newspaper and to imprison or ban many of its leaders.

Question 6

What was the result of the government banning SASM leaders?

Answer 6

As a result, some groups of SASM members began to support a more radical approach and set up secret links with the ANC in exile.

Question 7

In ____, when the government tried to enforce a ruling that certain subjects be taught through the medium of Afrikaans, students in ______ boycotted classes in _____.

Answer 7

1976
Soweto
protest

Question 8

True or false, the leaders of SASM did not support the protests.

Answer 8

False, the leaders of SASM supported the protests.

Question 9

What happened to teachers and students that spoke out against the policy?

Answer 9

Teachers and students who spoke against the policy were detained.

Question 10

What was formed on the 13 June 1976?

Answer 10

On 13 June 1976, at a SASM meeting, an Action Committee was formed.

Question 11

What was the Action Committee later renamed?

Answer 11

It was later renamed the Soweto Students’ Representative Council (SSRC).

Question 12

What was initially planned for the 16th of June?

Answer 12

The Council planned a march for 16 June as a mass demonstration to protest against the new language policy.

Question 13

What happened during the protest?

Answer 13

During this march the police overreacted and opened fire on the protesting students.

Question 14

What did this spark and what was it called?

Answer 14

This sparked off nearly a year of protest action, which became known as the Soweto uprising.

Question 15

What followed the countrywide protests?

Answer 15

The events in Soweto were followed by countrywide protests.

Question 16

What did the uprising develop into?

Answer 16

Although the Soweto uprising started as a protest against education policies, it became a general uprising against the whole system of apartheid and repressive government policies, with teachers, parents and workers supporting the students.

Question 17

What forms did the protests take?

Answer 17

Protest actions took many forms: boycotts, clashes with the police, the destruction of government property, and community stay - aways.

Question 18

What was caused as a the result of the complications caused by the Afrikaans language policy?

Answer 18

Although the government backed down on its Afrikaans language policy in July, schools throughout the country continued to be disrupted until the following year.

Question 19

What happened to the student

Answer 19

Many student leaders were detained, over a thousand were killed, mainly through police action, and many thousands more wounded.

Question 20

During the Soweto Student Uprising the ANC, although ______, had maintained contact with students and issued _______.

Answer 20

banned
students
pamphlets

Question 21

True or false, the ideas of Black Consciousness which had inspired the protests.

Answer 21

True

Question 22

However, the ANC’s strength was boosted when over ______ students left the country to join the ANC in ____ and receive ______ training.

Answer 22

12 000
exile
military

Question 23

What happened after Soweto?

Answer 23

After Soweto, armed activity inside South Africa increased as the armed wings of the ANC and PAC were able to use their new recruits in sabotage missions into the country.

Question 24

In ____ the government banned __ anti-apartheid organizations, including _____, the _____, the ___ and the _____.

Answer 24

1977
17
SASO
SASM 
BPC
SSRC

Question 25

Why were these organisations banned?

Answer 25

The banning of all organisations with links to the Black Consciousness movement suggests that the government thought the ideology posed a threat to white domination and that this ideology was the main reason for the Soweto Student Uprising.

Question 26

Who did the government arrest?

Answer 26

The government also arrested Black Consciousness leaders, including Steve Biko, who died in prison in September 1977 as a result of brutal maltreatment by the police.

Question 27

What was the biggest challenge faced by National Party?

Answer 27

The Soweto uprising was the biggest and most sustained challenge that the National Party had faced since coming to power in 1948.

Question 28

True or false, apartheid was the beginning to fail, although it was not until the 1980s that this became obvious.

Answer 28

True