Positioning 1976 in higher education

The sacrifices of the Class of June 1976 continue to find expression in students today. As the country pauses to commemorate 50 years since the uprising, University of Cape Town (UCT) students have shared their perspectives on the significance of June 1976 for a new generation. 

“When someone says 16 June 1976, I think about the fight for education, particularly the fight for education in a way that is dignified for young black people, in order for them to realise their human rights. For our current generation, I think it might be easy for us to be desensitised to what happened on 16 June,” said student activist Luhlanganiso Gcaleka. 

“We may feel that way because it seems to have been so far away from our narrative but it’s actually part of a continuum of history; there’s still a legacy of oppression and institutional violence in education and it is very important that we continue to remember, commemorate and have conversations [about] how we see education as not just a tool for change, but how historically – and presently in some instances – it has been used as a tool for institutional violence.” 

“University protests meant that students had to tear up the space and create their voices in order to be heard.” 

While the 1976 uprisings centred on school learners in and around Soweto, Gauteng, subsequent decades saw university campuses emerge as sites of protest and activism. Movements such as #FeesMustFall brought issues of access, transformation, decolonisation and curriculum reform to the forefront of national debate, once again placing education at the centre of calls for social change. 

“University protests meant that students had to tear up the space and create their voices to be heard. What’s important is that there’s a need for young people to feel heard; not only because they occupy these spaces, but the spaces need to be inclusive. It continues to this day, so the voices of young people continue to shape the ways we engage the spaces we’re in, and what it means to get a quality education in South Africa.”  

UCT, in its 2023 Transformation Report, notes that “Transformation in South African universities began as part of the broader process of addressing the legacy of apartheid in the country’s higher education system. The transformation process in South African universities is ongoing and complex, marked by both successes and challenges. While significant progress has been made to diversify higher education, there are still ongoing debates and efforts around issues such as institutional culture, funding, and achieving true equality and inclusivity.” 

Positive change 

Would Gcaleka characterise these events as student resistance or student activism? Her reply was emphatic: it’s both. “We cannot view the two as isolated; they reinforce one another. I think of my experience at UCT, and the pursuit of education is such that you must have endurance just to get through the rigorousness of the degree and certainly in pursuit of professional spaces – and that is a form of activism,” she said. 

Thaafir Mustapha, a leading figure behind SoWeVote – an organisation that encourages youth participation in democratic processes – also reflected on the topic. He explained that a desire to honour the sacrifices and legacy of the Class of 1976 was a significant inspiration for establishing the organisation. 

“The students on the day showed great resolve, in that not only did they do a courageous thing, but they made the ultimate sacrifice. Considering that, we can view it as a story of hope. The lesson to take from the Soweto uprising and why I named the organisation SoWeVote, is when you look at the name, you must mistake it for something to do with Soweto – it’s a play on the word,” he said. 

“Historians tell us to look back at the uprising as a turning point during apartheid. And what that means for a young person like me is that when young people speak up, a difference is made. Of course, things did not change overnight; in fact, things got harder. It would have been easier to give up in 1976, given that changes started happening much later.” 

He added: “You can think of the Soweto uprising as positive change. There are lessons we can draw on from the time: whether it is the way they organised themselves, to the fact that they not only stood against something, but they were also standing for something. I think too often in our politics we fail to champion the things that we stand for. 

Mustapha concluded: “It’s okay to disrupt the system and do things differently and be unconventional. Also, don’t lose the hope. I think there has been a redefinition regarding what youth protest looks like nowadays. To my mind, protest action is not limited to marching in the streets. Today there are many tools and opportunities from the comfort of our homes – digital tools and social media exist for young people to be able to protest the system.”