South Africa marks 50 years since the Soweto uprising

South Africa has marked the 50th anniversary of the Soweto uprising, when police opened fire on students protesting against the apartheid education system, killing many in a defining moment of the country's liberation struggle.

On 16 June 1976, thousands of young people in the township of Soweto demonstrated against a policy making the use of Afrikaans compulsory in schools, a language many associated with their oppressors. The protests were met with deadly police force, and more than 200 young people were killed in the unrest that followed.

The events were immortalised by Sam Nzima's photograph of a man carrying the body of 12-year-old Hector Pieterson, an image that brought global attention to the brutality of apartheid. The uprising galvanised resistance across the country.

Now commemorated annually as Youth Day, 16 June is a moment of national reflection. This year's 50th anniversary opened a year-long government programme honouring the sacrifices of the 1976 generation, alongside commemorative events including documentary screenings and panel discussions.

Leaders and commentators used the milestone to weigh how far the country has come and how far it still has to go, noting that many young South Africans continue to face high unemployment and unequal access to opportunity five decades on.