Hector Pierterson: A school boy killed during the struggle
Just around the turn of Vilikazi Street in Soweto, South Africa, there is a large memorial stone with white inscriptions. Beside it is a moving picture showing a wounded schoolboy being carried away by his terrified colleagues. Shell stones, pebbles and a seemingly still “brook†accentuate the s
BY CAROL NATUKUNDA
Just around the turn of Vilikazi Street in Soweto, South Africa, there is a large memorial stone with white inscriptions. Beside it is a moving picture showing a wounded schoolboy being carried away by his terrified colleagues. Shell stones, pebbles and a seemingly still “brook†accentuate the site, giving an air of gloom.
Welcome to Hector Pierterson Memorial Museum. It’s named after Hector Pierterson, a 12-year-old school boy who was shot as students protested a decision that Afrikaans (the Boer language) should be the medium of instruction in schools. To the blacks, this was one of the irritating decisions under the apartheid policy — or racial segregation.
On that fateful day — June 16, 1976 — thousands of students had, as early as 10:30am, gathered on Vilikazi Street, where the museum is located, ready to march in protest. Some students from the sprawling townships were still on their way, when suddenly the police opened fire, killing Hector and another little known boy, Hastings Ndlovu.
It is said that Ndlovu was actually the first child to be shot dead but photographers were only on the spot when Hector was wounded. Hector was carried by fellow students to a nearby clinic, where he died on arrival.
But the uprising was a result of an accumulation of anger. The story goes that tensions in schools had been growing since February 1976 when two teachers at the Meadowlands Tswana School Board were dismissed for their refusal to teach in Afrikaans.
In solidarity, students and teachers throughout Soweto as well as the African Teachers’ Association of South Africa presented a memorandum to the Education Department challenging the move, to no avail. By May, a dozen schools had gone on strike with several students refusing to write mid-year exams, which obviously had to be in Afrikaans. The strikes spread to junior and high schools alike, including Orlando West Junior School, Orlando North SS, Phefeni SS, Belle Higher Primary and Thulasizwe Higher Primary School, among others.
On June 13, a meeting convened by representatives of all Soweto schools resolved that a demonstration be held to protest the use of Afrikaans in education.
On June 16, all hell broke loose as students started to march from their schools to the Orlando Stadium, about one kilometre from the Hector Pieterson Museum. Teargas and gunshots were fired.
There are conflicting accounts on who gave the order to shoot, but soon, children were turning and running in all directions, leaving some lying wounded on the road. Hector’s death prompted anger across communities. Civilians retaliated by burning police cars, while workers refused to report for duty. Pupils stoned every car passing through Soweto, but police overpowered them by shooting at random at anyone who raised a fist. About 700 people were detained weekly, and about 123 people died.
Fast forward to the present day. June 16 is deeply etched in the memories of all South Africans, and that is why it has been symbolised in the form of Hector Pieterson museum. Hector’s photograph is a testimony of how fearless the children were, joining their parents and grandparents in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
FACTS ON APARTHEID POLICY
- The Apartheid policy was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party government of South Africa between 1948 and 1990.
- Race laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites and the sanctioning of “white-only'' jobs.
- In 1950, the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of three categories: white, black (African), or coloured (of mixed descent).
- Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance and descent. A person could not be considered white if one of his or her parents were non-white.
- The Department of Home Affairs (a government bureau) was responsible for the classification of the citizenry. Non-compliance with the race laws were dealt with harshly.
- All blacks were required to carry “pass books'' containing fingerprints, photos and information on access to non-black areas.
- The penalties for protesting these laws included fines, whippings and detention without a hearing.
- Thousands of individuals died in custody, frequently after gruesome acts of torture. Those who were tried were sentenced to death, banished, or imprisoned for life.
- In the 1990s, President Fredrick de Klerk’s government started negotiations with the African National Congress and the country finally walked to freedom on April 27, 1994 with Nelson Mandela as its first ever black president.
Just around the turn of Vilikazi Street in Soweto, South Africa, there is a large memorial stone with white inscriptions. Beside it is a moving picture showing a wounded schoolboy being carried away by his terrified colleagues. Shell stones, pebbles and a seemingly still “brook†accentuate the site, giving an air of gloom.
Welcome to Hector Pierterson Memorial Museum. It’s named after Hector Pierterson, a 12-year-old school boy who was shot as students protested a decision that Afrikaans (the Boer language) should be the medium of instruction in schools. To the blacks, this was one of the irritating decisions under the apartheid policy — or racial segregation.
On that fateful day — June 16, 1976 — thousands of students had, as early as 10:30am, gathered on Vilikazi Street, where the museum is located, ready to march in protest. Some students from the sprawling townships were still on their way, when suddenly the police opened fire, killing Hector and another little known boy, Hastings Ndlovu.
It is said that Ndlovu was actually the first child to be shot dead but photographers were only on the spot when Hector was wounded. Hector was carried by fellow students to a nearby clinic, where he died on arrival.
But the uprising was a result of an accumulation of anger. The story goes that tensions in schools had been growing since February 1976 when two teachers at the Meadowlands Tswana School Board were dismissed for their refusal to teach in Afrikaans.
In solidarity, students and teachers throughout Soweto as well as the African Teachers’ Association of South Africa presented a memorandum to the Education Department challenging the move, to no avail. By May, a dozen schools had gone on strike with several students refusing to write mid-year exams, which obviously had to be in Afrikaans. The strikes spread to junior and high schools alike, including Orlando West Junior School, Orlando North SS, Phefeni SS, Belle Higher Primary and Thulasizwe Higher Primary School, among others.
On June 13, a meeting convened by representatives of all Soweto schools resolved that a demonstration be held to protest the use of Afrikaans in education.
On June 16, all hell broke loose as students started to march from their schools to the Orlando Stadium, about one kilometre from the Hector Pieterson Museum. Teargas and gunshots were fired.
There are conflicting accounts on who gave the order to shoot, but soon, children were turning and running in all directions, leaving some lying wounded on the road. Hector’s death prompted anger across communities. Civilians retaliated by burning police cars, while workers refused to report for duty. Pupils stoned every car passing through Soweto, but police overpowered them by shooting at random at anyone who raised a fist. About 700 people were detained weekly, and about 123 people died.
Fast forward to the present day. June 16 is deeply etched in the memories of all South Africans, and that is why it has been symbolised in the form of Hector Pieterson museum. Hector’s photograph is a testimony of how fearless the children were, joining their parents and grandparents in the struggle for freedom and democracy.
FACTS ON APARTHEID POLICY
- The Apartheid policy was a system of racial segregation enforced by the National Party government of South Africa between 1948 and 1990.
- Race laws touched every aspect of social life, including a prohibition of marriage between non-whites and whites and the sanctioning of “white-only'' jobs.
- In 1950, the Population Registration Act required that all South Africans be racially classified into one of three categories: white, black (African), or coloured (of mixed descent).
- Classification into these categories was based on appearance, social acceptance and descent. A person could not be considered white if one of his or her parents were non-white.
- The Department of Home Affairs (a government bureau) was responsible for the classification of the citizenry. Non-compliance with the race laws were dealt with harshly.
- All blacks were required to carry “pass books'' containing fingerprints, photos and information on access to non-black areas.
- The penalties for protesting these laws included fines, whippings and detention without a hearing.
- Thousands of individuals died in custody, frequently after gruesome acts of torture. Those who were tried were sentenced to death, banished, or imprisoned for life.
- In the 1990s, President Fredrick de Klerk’s government started negotiations with the African National Congress and the country finally walked to freedom on April 27, 1994 with Nelson Mandela as its first ever black president.