Post-apartheid South Africa: 50 years after Soweto riots, what has changed?

It is 50 years since the Soweto rebellion in South Africa, when Black students rose up in their numbers to protest the oppressive policies of the apartheid government. Clad in nothing but their uniforms, the students braved bullets, police dogs and detention. What began as student strikes in one school soon spread through the city of Johannesburg and evolved into mass riots that turned violent. Several lives were lost, but the protests were largely a success as the policies they campaigned against were ultimately rolled back. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list Although the 1976 Soweto uprising occurred 18 years before the fall of apartheid, this is widely seen as a pivotal moment in South African history, one of several that put intense pressure on the white minority government and paved the way for the country’s rebirth in 1994. However, despite the celebratory mood in the country, the anniversary is overshadowed by multiple crises. Africa’s biggest and most advanced economy is in the grips of high levels of poverty, unemployment and crime, with the Black majority community suffering the worst of the consequences. In recent weeks, some South Africans have turned on African migrants, protesting their stay and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of migrants by other African nations. …