On that morning of 16th June, thousands of Soweto students attended what was intended to have been a peaceful rally objecting to having to learn at school using Afrikaans, a rally which had the support of many teachers.

As with so many tense situations, it took just one moment for the gathering of thousands to turn from its peaceful intent into a bloody massacre and that moment occurred after some of the students started throwing stones at the police, and one officer retaliated, with a gun.

Panic erupted and chaos ensued with emergency clinics overflowing with injured and bloodied children. Around one and a half thousand police were deployed the following day, with army back-up if required.

Whilst the riot was quelled with reports of upwards of over five hundred fatalities with over a thousand men, women and children being injured, the riot marked the serious birth of the ANC as a leader in the liberation struggle against white supremacy.

16th June is now marked as African Child Day to remember the children who died on that fateful day. The day is also used to remind world leaders, particularly those of the G8, of the millions of children who die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday every year in Africa alone.