Youth Day in South Africa

Youth Day was initially known as Soweto Day among the supporters of the ANC, but was officially made a public holiday after Nelson Mandela became president in 1994. Youth Day is to commemorate the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976.

Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests. They were met with fierce police brutality and many were shot and killed. The number of people killed in the uprising is usually given as 176, but estimates of up to 700 have been made. In remembrance of these events, 16 June is now a public holiday in South Africa, named Youth Day.