KC JOURNAL NO 6 JUNE 2004 – Barometer of student struggles: June to August 1976

Date

Province / City

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13 June 1976

Transvaal, Soweto

About 400 students attend a meeting in Orlando. At the meeting, Tsietsi Mashinini (a 19-year-old-leader) of a SASM branch, call for a mass demonstration against the use of Afrikaans for the following Wednesday, 16 June 1976.

16 June 1976

Transvaal, Soweto

Students gather at different points throughout Soweto, and then set off to meet at Orlando Sports Ground. About 20 000 Soweto schoolchildren march to protest against the use of Afrikaans as one of the languages of instruction in secondary school. The march turns violent when the police start shooting at the schoolchildren. The 13-year-old Orlando West schoolboy, Hector Peterson, is the first child to be shot. The scholars retaliate by throwing stones and bottles at the police and their vehicles are damaged. Within 24 hours violence and shooting spreads to all the 28 townships of Soweto. Students also set fire to symbols of Apartheid, such as government buildings, municipal beer halls and liquor stores, Putco buses, and vehicles belonging to white business. Violence also spreads from Soweto to other parts of the former PWV area.

19 June 1976

Transvaal

In Soweto, the black youth attempt to prevent commercial vehicles from entering the township. At the Sebenza (‘coloured’) township near Edenvale in the East Rand a school and some shops are burnt down.

Natal

87 Black medical students from the Alan Taylor Medical School in Wentworth (Durban) are arrested during a solidarity demonstration.

20 June 1976

Transvaal

At the Hebron Training Institution in BophutaTswana 1,300 school students are sent home after a school hall was burnt down. In Evaton the Sephotembe Secondary School is destroyed by fire.

26 June 1976

Cape

In Langa arson attempts are made on a school and the township Post Office.

27 June 1976

Transvaal

In Soweto and other townships large funerals take place for victims of the police shootings.

03 July 1976

Transvaal

The Black Parents Association organise a ‘symbolic funeral service’ for Hector Peterson, the first fatality of June 16. Large crowds gather in Alexandra for several funeral services.

Orange Free State

Angry scenes develop in Bothaville after the police interrupt a film show. Several hundred Africans stone the building before being dispersed by the police who open fire and arrest most of them.

06 July 1976

Transvaal

African school students stone buses traveling from Randfontein to Westonaria. Mr. M. C. Botha climbs down on the use of Afrikaans in schools and school principals are given the powers to decide the medium of instruction.

08 July 1976

Transvaal

In Middelburg the offices of the Highveld BAAB are set on fire. Arsonists also attack a white farmer’s house in nearby Vaalbank.

12 July 1976

Orange Free State

At St. Helena Gold Mine in Welkom, police are called in to deal with worker unrest.

13 July 1976

Transvaal

In Alexandra three policemen assault eleven black people, point their guns at three others and drag one white man from a car, beat him up and threaten him with death if he reports the incident.

15 July 1976

Transvaal

Justice Minister J. T. Kruger invokes the detention clause of the Internal Security Act and announces that African schools in the Pretoria-Witwatersrand-Vaal area are to remain closed. In Soweto a government vehicle is attacked and stoned and the white driver is seriously injured. In Krugersdorp one BAAB official is killed and another seriously injured in a gunfight with two armed blacks.

16 July 1976

Transvaal

In Jouberton (Kleksdorp) a crowd of fifty blacks confront three police detectives in their car. After some shooting in which one man was injured, the crowd is disperses.

24 July 1976

Natal

Several arrests are made after a school is burnt down at Greytown (north of Pietermaritzburg).

25 July 1976

Natal

A school at Vryheid is burnt down.

26 July 1976

Transvaal

Soweto school principals meet and call on the government to withdraw the police forces to ease the tense situation.

Cape

In the Transkei the official car of George Matanzima is set on fire. Four high ranking leaders of the Transkei opposition party are detained. In Mafikeng (N. Cape) a training center is attacked.

Orange Free State

A school in Bochabelo (Bloemfontein) is damaged by fire.

Natal

Schools at Kokstad and Empangeni are stoned and set alight. In Kwa Mashu township (Durban) main water pipes are destroyed.

27 July 1976

Transvaal

In Soweto demonstrations take place, demanding police withdrawal and in Meadowlands a large crowd stones the police. At least one school is damaged by fire.

Orange Free State

At Witsieshoek in Qwa Qwa a trade school and a high school are set on fire.

Natal

The extent of Natal unrest is becoming apparent. Some schools are set alight during protests by school children.

28 July 1976

Transvaal

Five more schools in Soweto are damaged by fire. Arson attacks are also made in Kagiso (Krigersdorp) and Thokoza (Alberton)

Northern Transvaal

At Seshego (Pietersburg) a mass walkout takes place when Mohlakeng Secondary School students join the boycott.

29 July 1976

Transvaal, Soweto

A few of the remaining schools are closed after threats of arson.

30 July 1976

Transvaal, Soweto

Four more schools are burnt down despite heavy police patrolling.

Cape

At the University of Western Cape over 1000 ‘coloured’ students begin a one-week boycott of classes.

Natal

After fires in Helpmekaar seven students are arrested reportedly in possession of school exercise books containing ‘subversive material’ of the ANC.

01 Aug 1976

Transvaal, Soweto

The UBC, having received Mr. Kruger’s permission, holds an open-air meeting in Soweto.

02 Aug 1976

Transvaal

The UBC’s appeal for a return to school has no effect. The boycott continues. At Sharpville (Vereeniging) a school is set alight.

Orange Free Sate

An arson attempt is reported from a school in Witsieshoek in Qwa Qwa.

Natal

Two more arson attacks are reported on schools in KwaZulu.

11 Aug 1976

Transvaal

In Kagiso (Krugersdorp) 76 people are arrested and a 14-year-old boy is shot in the leg after a large crowd attack a school and several other buildings. Police also disperse students in Kwa Thema after a peaceful demonstration.

Cape

In Umtata St. John’s College is set alight. In the African townships of Cape Town (Langa, Nyanga and Guguletu) police break up three separate and peaceful demonstrations. Violent clashes soon develop and police open fire killing at least 16 people in a few hours.

12 Aug 1976

Transvaal

Arson attacks on schools and BAAB offices are reported from Katlehong (Germiston), Bopalong (Vereeniging) and Ikageng (Potchefstroom). In Daveyton (Benoni) police break up a student demonstration and arrest 136 people.

Cape

In Langa, armed police use helicopters to attack Nyanga and Guguletu demonstrations. The police arrest 76 white students attempting to march to Nyanga to join a demonstration there. The first large ‘coloured’ demonstration takes place at Belgravia High School. The unrest spreads out of Cape Town area to Somerset West where arson attacks are made on a school, and to Worcester where several hundred-school students stage a demonstration. By evening the Cape Town townships are sealed off and fierce fighting continues. 130 police reinforcements are flown in to assist the local police.

Orange Free State

At Wietsieshoek in Qwa Qwa several hundred people are involved in demonstrations. Another school is gutted by fire.

Natal

1 500 Indian students demonstrate demanding the release of detained student leaders.

13 Aug 1976

Transvaal

Police are patrolling Soweto making indiscrimate attacks on people. A 13-year-old boy is shot dead as he plays in a schoolyard with a group of children. A nationwide round up of the militant political leadership is taking place. Amongst those arrested is Winnie Mandela.

Northern Transvaal

Arson attacks on schools in the area north of Pietersburg take place. At Seshego in Lebowa numerous injuries and arrests occur in clashes between demonstrators and police.

Cape

The school boycott in the African townships here is solid: police are guarding all the schools. ‘Coloured’ students hold another mass meeting at Belgravia High School. Several hundred UWC students march to Bellville Magistrate’s Court where trials of their colleagues are taking place.

Orange Free State

An arson attack destroys much of the Strijdom Technical School near Bloemfontein.

Natal

At Weenen in central Natal, students attempt to set fire to a beer hall and a school.

18 Aug 1976

Transvaal

In Soweto, Orlando High School is damaged by fire. Both in Mamelodi and Soweto students demonstrate against the detention of local school principals.

Cape

In the New Brighton, Kwazakele and Zwide townships of Port Elizabeth peaceful demonstrations by several thousand people erupt into violence after a police attack. Police kill at least eight and seriously wound 20 others. Students in Mdantsane (East London) decide to boycott school and the Ciskei Education Department then decide to close all post-primary schools in Mdantsane. Demonstrators clash with police and stone police cars at the township’s bus terminus. At UWC the Rector threatens to close the University after clashes on the campus in which some staff are injured. The students resolve at a mass meeting to continue their boycott. A peaceful demonstration takes place at Somerset West High School and students start a school boycott.

19 Aug 1976

Transvaal

Arson attacks on schools take place in Mamelodi (Pretoria), De Wildt (Brits) and Katlehong (Germiston). At Middelburg police disperse 600 demonstrators outside a magistrate’s court.

Northern Transvaal

Angry scenes take place at the University of the North at Turfloop (near Pietersburg) when police disperse a crowd of black students protesting at the cancellation of a memorial service for the victims of police shootings.

Cape

Resistance continues in the port Elizabeth townships and fierce fighting is reported from inside the sealed off townships. The local death toll rises to 17 and scores are injured. At UWC the Rector retaliates against student militancy by expelling eight student leaders. In Transkei several hundred-school students march through Lady Frere protesting against Transkei ‘independence’ and setting fire to government property. 266 demonstrators are arrested.

Natal

Several medical students from the University of Natal (Durban) boycott classes in protest against the detention of five of their colleagues. Students at Ziphathele High School in Claremont (Durban) boycott their classes and stage a demonstration.

20 Aug 1976

Transvaal

Arson attack in Duduza (Nigel)

Cape

At Uitenhage Coloured and African school students join together to demonstrate. In Athlone (‘coloured’) township outside Cape Town a primary school is completely destroyed by arson, whilst serious damage is caused at Healdtown High near Fort Beaufort in the Eastern cape.

Orange Free State

Another arson attack is reported from Witsieshoek in Qwa Qwa.