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. 

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...

Read More

Other Subjects

Ernest Hopkins

Ernest Hopkins

Drowned in the 1898 HMS Albion disaster, aged 12. Buried in grave 3 at the memorial in East London Cemetery.

Person, Children, Tragedy

1 memorial
St Pancras

St Pancras

Christian orphan beheaded aged 14. Patron Saint of children, cramps, headaches, oaths, treaties, against false witness and against perjury.

Person, Children, Religion

2 memorials
Priscilla Wakefield

Priscilla Wakefield

Born Priscilla Bell in Tottenham. Quaker philanthropist and author of feminist economics, scientific subjects, travel, children's non-fiction. Best known book was 'The Juvenile Travellers' which ha...

Person, Children, Gender Issues, Race Issues, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Anne Frank

Anne Frank

Born Frankfurt, Germany. Died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.

Person, Children, Seriously Famous, Tragedy, Germany, Netherlands

4 memorials
Sir John Kirk

Sir John Kirk

J.P., Christian philanthropist, the children's friend.  Not to be confused with Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), the African explorer.  Sir John's great great grandson, Peter Mitchell, contacted us to sa...

Person, Children, Education, Philanthropy

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Air Raid Precautions (ARP)

Air Raid Precautions (ARP)

In WW2 each local council was responsible for setting up the local ARP to protect civilians from air raids. ARP Wardens were important members, enforcing the blackout, sounding the alarms, etc.

Group, Social Welfare

1 memorial
Diane J. Gorvin

Diane J. Gorvin

Sculptor. Trained at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art. Diane J. Gorvin was born in 1956 the elder child of Herbert D. Gorvin (b.1931) and Patricia A. M. Gorvin née Black (b.1936). Her birt...

Person, Sculpture

4 memorials
Connex

Connex

Full name Connex South Eastern. Train operators in the south-east of England, part of a French based company. Its franchise was due to run until 2011, but the Strategic Rail Authority decided to cu...

Group, Transport

2 memorials