Plaque in honour of hero of Soweto uprising to be unveiled on June 16

ON JUNE 16, a plaque will be unveiled at the home of Seth Mazibuko in Soweto, and a march will begin at 7am from the Orlando Stadium to commemorate the event. The unveiling takes place at 1806 Maiming Street, Orlando East, at 11am.

The inscription on the City of Joburg’s heritage plaque in honour of Mazibuko reads: “This site has been a base for planning different Struggles against apartheid. It remained under surveillance by the security branch during and after June 1976.

“It was here that Seth Mazibuko, the youngest member of the Student Action Committee, was arrested in July 1976, aged just 16.

“He was held in solitary confinement for 11 months in Number Four at The Fort Prison in Braamfontein.

“Seth was then charged, tried and sent to Robben Island for seven years where he completed his matric in English and obtained his BEd degree.”

The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation will be offering a brief bus tour that will include the unveiling to commemorate the march by school children against the compulsory medium of Afrikaans for several school subjects.

The route follows the path of the march taken by the class of June 16.

It will then move on to the statue of Tsietsi Mashinini, opposite the Morris Isaacson School, and visit the June 16 museum.

Back on to the bus and the tour will make its way to Mooki Street and the home of Seth Mazibuko, who was a member of the organising committee.

Joburg mayoral committee member for community development Nonhlanhla Sifumba will unveil the plaque to honour Seth’s role and his subsequent imprisonment at the Old Fort jail, which was followed by seven years on Robben Island.