1976 student uprising leader still haunted by “rows of bodies in the mortuary”
Seth Mazibuko is part of a team heading the “1976 at 50” campaign to commemorate the day
Add GroundUp on Google
Veteran student leader Seth Mazibuko in front of Sam Nzima’s iconic photograph of Mbuyisa Makhubu carrying the body of Hector Pieterson during the 1976 uprising at The Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto. Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee
“I will never forget that day,” says Seth Mazibuko. “We were children on a peaceful march. When the police opened fire, everything changed.”
Mazibuko was a student leader involved in the 1976 Soweto student movement which organised mass protests against the apartheid government’s decision to impose Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools.
As South Africa commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 16 June Soweto student uprising, Mazibuko is calling on young people to “finish what was started”.
He is now part of a team heading up the “1976 at 50” campaign in partnership with civil society, heritage institutions, government and community organisations to honour the legacy of the 1976 uprising and to address the current challenges facing young people.
“We are bringing this campaign to the community,” says Mazibuko. “The theme young people have chosen is ‘Finishing Off What Was Started’.”
As part of the commemorations on Tuesday, participants will retrace the historic route, marching from the corner of Moema and Vilakazi streets, where police first opened fire on students, past the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and ending at Orlando Stadium.
Reflecting on the events of 16 June 1976, Mazibuko becomes emotional when talking about the trauma he has carried for five decades.
Mazibuko described visiting Baragwanath Hospital with Winnie Mandela after the protests, expecting to find injured students but instead they were confronted with rows of bodies in the mortuary.
“The images of those children remain with me,” he said. “I continue telling the story of 1976 because of those who watered the tree of liberation with their blood.”
Mazibuko says this year’s anniversary should be used as a platform to tackle persistent social issues, including youth unemployment, education challenges, gender-based violence, and substance use.
“The next 50 years must be different from the previous 50 years,” he says.
One of the campaign’s projects will be a renewed national and international search for Mbuyisa Makhubu, the young man in Sam Nzima’s iconic photograph carrying Hector Pieterson. Makhubu disappeared years later and his whereabouts remain unknown.
“We want to know where Mbuyisa Makhubu is, dead or alive,” Mazibuko said. “For the sake of his family and for the sake of history.”
Mazibuko said veterans of the uprising will pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. “The future belongs to you, but we will walk with you as you build it,” he said.
Support independent journalism
Donate using Payfast
Don't miss out on the latest news
We respect your privacy, and promise we won't spam you.
© 2026 GroundUp. This article is published under the GroundUp Republication Licence Version 1.0. Email [email protected] to request permission to republish.