Hector Pieterson Memorial Site, Soweto, Johannesburg | Memorial erected in Soweto to 12 year old Hector Pieterson South Africa

Hector Pieterson Memorial Site

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Johannesburg

HECTOR PIETERSON MEMORIAL SITE

Hector Pieterson Memorial SiteHector Pieterson Memorial Site: The Hector *Pieterson Memorial and museum opened in Soweto in 2002, not far from the spot where 12 year-old Hector was shot on the 16 June 1976 during the Soweto uprising that today is a symbol of resistance to the brutality of the apartheid government.

Soweto, a city developed as a township for black people during apartheid, lies south of Johannesburg. Its residents number some two million people with homes that range from shacks to extravagant mansions, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial site is included on any number of tours through the area.

On 16 June on the day Hector was killed, school children had gathered to protest the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in township schools. There are contradictory accounts of just who gave the first command to shoot but as children began singing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, and before they could be dispersed, the police opened fire. Some 20 children died in the ensuing pandemonium.

Hector Pieterson has become something of an iconic image of the fateful day, mostly due to a photograph published across the globe by Sam Nzima, photographer at the time for The World newspaper in Johannesburg, of the dying Hector carried by a fellow student, Hector’s sister alongside, her hands held out in panic. Today 16 June is National Youth Day to honour young people.

Since its erection, the memorial plaque for Hector Pieterson has been repeatedly vandalized; ironically it seems due to children who don’t understand the relevance or important historical implications of the memorial.

*Since June 1976, Hector's surname has been spelled Peterson and Pietersen by the press but the family insists that the correct spelling is Pieterson. The Pieterson family was originally the Pitso family but decided to adopt the Pieterson name to try to pass as "Coloured" (the apartheid-era name for people of mixed race), as Coloured people enjoyed somewhat better privileges under apartheid than blacks did.
Photograph Courtesy of and © Themba Day Tours & Safaris
Overnight at Soweto Accommodation or find a guest house in Soweto.

The Soweto Tour: The Soweto tour gives you the opportunity to gain a new perspective and personal insight into the largest Black city in Africa. Soweto is synonymous with the struggle for freedom in South Africa and is a vibrant, culturally rich township situated on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Within ... more » Soweto Tours

The venue is the magnificent Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, the site of the signing of the historic Freedom Charter by anti-apartheid organisations in 1955. T his is the ideal place for the people of Soweto to congregate over Heritage weekend as the Square is a national monument and the focus ... more » Soweto Festival

Soweto Map: A detailed map of Soweto, indicating the major roads, and landmarks of Soweto, Gauteng. The Soweto map indicates the location of all the suburbs in Soweto as well as highlighting the major attractions including the location of Mandela House and The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital ... more » Soweto Map
Visit this fascinating town, meet her people, learn about the history of Soweto from the people who experienced it, dine in her restaurants, visit a Shebeen (local Pub), take a guided tour and perhaps visit the Hector Peterson Memorial Site, Nelson Mandela's former home (now a museum), Baragwanath ... more » The Soweto Experience

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Hector Pieterson Memorial Site Soweto Johannesburg | Memorial erected in Soweto to 12 year old Hector Pieterson South Africa

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