To finish what was started by the Class of ’76 fifty years ago in Soweto.This is the objective of a march taking place on Tuesday (16 June 2026) to Orlando Stadium, where veterans of the 1976 Uprising together with present-day youths plan to hand over a Manifesto to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“It is an affront to us and the youth of today that the main commemoration of the 1976 Uprising should not take place at Orlando Stadium,” says Seth Mazibuko, who helped organise the original march in 1976.“Orlando is not merely a venue, but a symbol of youth courage, resistance and hope. In 1976 we planned to end our march at Orlando Stadium. The commemoration of June 16 anywhere else diminishes the sacrifices made on that fateful day to secure the freedoms we enjoy in a democratic South Africa,” he explains.
Marchers will include civil society organisations, community members and youths from Soweto and the greater Johannesburg as well as veterans of the 1976 student movement.
Another pain point for the group is the renaming of Orlando Stadium to reflect its sponsorship by an alcohol company. “It is deeply ironic that fifty years later, one of the most important symbols of the 1976 student movement has become associated with alcohol branding and commercial naming rights, while the official commemoration itself is moved away from the very location where history unfolded,” remarks Mazibuko.
Among the issues that fuelled youth resistance in 1976 was the destructive impact of municipal beer halls and the alcohol-related harm affecting township communities.“In 1976 young people resisted apartheid systems that used alcohol as a tool of social control and economic extraction. Beer halls were not innocent recreational spaces.
“They functioned as instruments of apartheid governance – deliberately used to pacify black communities while generating municipal revenue. The youth uprisings challenged these oppressive structures,” says Nomcebo Dlamini, Campaign Director of the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance.The social ills and injustices young people opposed in 1976 still plague the youth of today.
“Fifty years later, many of the issues that concerned the Class of ’76 remain with us. Young people continue to face unemployment, poverty, violence, substance abuse, mental health challenges and limited opportunities,” says Kamogelo Malikane, Junior Mayor of Johannesburg.
“We will be handing over an 11-point Youth Manifesto to the President. Among the issues raised will be a call for stronger substance abuse prevention programmes, accessible treatment and recovery services, and healthier communities where young people can thrive,” adds Malikane.
The youth of 1976 marched for dignity, opportunity and community wellbeing. The youth of 2026 deserve a commemoration that honours that legacy in both place and purpose.
March Details:
Date: 16 June 2026
Time: 10h00
Starting point at the Confrontation Address: Cnr, Moema & Vilikazi Street, Orlando West Soweto to an open field at Orlando Stadium.
Princess Malungani
Soweto Sunrise News
