Group    From 16/6/1976  To 16/6/1976

Soweto children killed in 1976

Categories: Children, Tragedy

Countries: South Africa

Soweto is a township of Johannesburg, South Africa. At least 176 people were killed during a protest about the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. Of these, 116 were children.

This photograph, taken by Sam Nzima (1934-2018) shows the mortally wounded Hector Pieterson (1963-1976) being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo (anti-Apartheid activist and Soweto resident) while Pieterson’s sister, Antoinette Sithole (aged 17), runs beside to them.

Pieterson was driven to a clinic in Nzima’s car but he was already dead. Afterwards Makhubo was harassed by the police and went into hiding.  His family lost all contact with him. Nzima also suffered harassment and temporarily went into hiding.

All information from Wikipedia. Also Time have an excellent 12 minute video about the event and the photograph. 

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Soweto children killed in 1976

Commemorated ati

Soweto children

This sculpture was inspired by a widely-circulated and influential news photo...

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Other Subjects

Joan Whitham

Joan Whitham

One of the 11 "children of England" present on 7th July 1933 when The Princess Royal laid a foundation stone for a nurses home for the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Person, Children

1 memorial
Christ Church Charity School, Spitalfields

Christ Church Charity School, Spitalfields

From British History online (mainly): In 1708 a charity school started in Spitalfields, the boys somewhere in Brick Lane, the girls somewhere in what is now Princelet Street. In 1782-3 a new school...

Building, Children, Education

3 memorials
Josephine Trotman

Josephine Trotman

One of the 11 "children of England" present on 7th July 1933 when The Princess Royal laid a foundation stone for a nurses home for the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

Person, Children

1 memorial
Infants Hospital

Infants Hospital

From the always useful Lost Hospitals of London: "The St Francis Hospital for Infants was founded in a small house in Hampstead {6 Denning Road} in 1903 by Helen Levis, {first} wife of the industri...

Group, Children, Medicine

1 memorial