Children of the Revolution

South African schoolchildren voice their indignation at injustice

Children of the Revolution With Nelson Mandela freed from prison, South Africa is changing fast - but big challenges lie ahead. In the township of Soweto children have taken charge of their schools, trading formal (albeit poorly-funded) education for incitement of rebellion against the injustices between the black and the white populations.
To black residents in South Africa the township of Soweto symbolises the worst of apartheid. In the early morning mist, half a million Sowetans commute to Johannesburg to work in its mines and factories. They labour for a system which has created the world's largest gap between rich and poor. Amongst the most inflamed by this injustice are the township's youth. "The things they have done to us will never be erased from our hearts", says one student with feeling. The schools have become hothouses of revolution. Inequalities in education funding for black and white schoolchildren fuelled the dissatisfaction, which has now become a full-fledged rebellion. “Even today most black people think that they are inferior", says another student, "And this is not because of the way they feel but because of their history that is written." Injustices continue throughout the township, especially with violence from white police towards black civilians; but when the population rebel in large numbers, they are sensibly nowhere to be seen.
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