For many South Africans, the events leading up to the 1976 youth revolt, heralded an era in which young people started becoming more vocal about their need to have a say in decisions made by the powers that be.
Everyone remembers the iconic photograph taken by the renowned journalist, Sam Nzima, of a slain Hector Pieterson after apartheid police fired at students protesting the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in township schools.
Meadowlands residents were no exception as parents, dressed in Kofifi style attire came out to honour the fallen students at the Bapedi Hall.
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The Meadowlands Information Centre was established in 1997 when Ndofaya residents indicated that they also wanted to share their memories of that fateful day which saw a change in the country’s political climate.
Mary Phiri, who conducted the dialogue, said, “Our children will be able to learn about their own area and roots and how they ended up in Meadowlands.”
“The written history is not enough, we also need to contribute and play a part,” Phiri.
The centre was launched in 2002 and relaunched in 2015, to enable and encourage Meadowlands residents to use it.
Of June 16, 1976, Phiri added that she was on her way home from and was met by scenes of chaos as police clashed with students. She said that the area was crawling with police in what she recalled as a very confusing time.
Johanna Ditshego said, ” At that time I was a student at Nkwe where we were taught history and maths in Afrikaans.”
“Student leaders did not return and some students who were shot became paralysed while others skipped the country.”
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Kate Maimane said that she was a businessperson at the time, on her way back to Meadowlands from Delmas when she heard people talking about the revolt.
“Parents lost their children and this is a fight that the country will never forget,” said Maimane.
“It was a painful time for the country, we lost our brothers and sisters. They disappeared without a trace while others were left disabled. We need to pass on this knowledge to our grandchildren and children so that they are able to know exactly what took place.”
“This history has to be part of Ndofaya.”
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