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The national Department of Education has committed itself to participating in and co-ordinating the national commemoration of the anniversaries of events of historical significance in schools during 2006. The national theme approved by an inter-ministerial committee for this year’s national celebrations is “The Age Of Hope - From Struggle to Freedom”.
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All schools are encouraged to participate during 2006 in the commemoration of the significant historical events, while continuing to observe South Africa’s national days and important international days. The Department of Education hopes that schools and educators will commit themselves to the values of the Constitution by preparing activities throughout the year that will highlight the sacrifices made by many South Africans in the struggle for freedom.
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This campaign gives South Africans the opportunity to celebrate and at the same time review, in a variety of forms and occasions, the progress we as a nation have made in building a better and more united South Africa and strengthening our democracy. It is both a time for looking back to where we have come from and at what we have achieved, and for looking ahead to set the goals that we as a nation and as individuals wish to attain in the future.
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The key significant historical events are the following:
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4.1 |
The centenary of the Anti-Poll Tax Uprising (Bhambatha Rebellion) of April 1906. The introduction of a tax on all males in the former Natal was opposed by many already impoverished black people as it imposed a great burden on them. The Poll Tax was an attempt to force black farmers off the land and into employment. During the period of resistance, villages were burnt, chiefs deposed or arrested and many killed, including Chief Bhambatha. This rebellion against colonial rule was the last armed resistance by Africans until the adoption of armed struggle against apartheid by uMkhonto we Sizwe nearly 50 years later.
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4.2 |
The tenth anniversary of the Adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa on 8 May 1996. This marks events and processes that gave rise to South Africa’s first democratic constitution - a constitution that enshrines the rights and responsibilities of all South Africans and establishes the legal foundations of a democratic society.
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4.3 |
The thirtieth anniversary of the Soweto Youth Uprising on 16 June 1976 against Bantu Education. South Africa marks the thirtieth anniversary in memory of the sacrifices of all those who rose up in June 1976 and in the months and years after in the struggle for democracy.
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4.4 |
The fiftieth Anniversary of the Women's March to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956. National Women’s Day commemorates the day on which 20 000 women protested against the extension of the pass laws to black women. On 9 August 1956, South African women of all races marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over thousands of petitions to the then Prime Minister, JG Strijdom.
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4.5 |
The sixtieth Anniversary of the Mineworkers’ Strike of August 1946 when thousands of black mineworkers on the Witwatersrand went on strike for better wages. The state suppressed the strike with much brutality resulting in the death or injury of many mineworkers and the arrest of leaders. The commemoration of this event highlights the major role that workers played and the sacrifices that they made in the struggle for democratic rights in South Africa.
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The centenary of the beginning of Satyagraha, Mahatma Gandhi’s passive resistance campaign, September 1906. Satyagraha, or the passive resistance campaign, was started by Gandhi as a form of protest against the increasing repressive legislation adopted against Indians in South Africa. This form of non-violent struggle shaped the form of resistance to oppression and the struggle for democracy in South Africa, India and in many other parts of the world in the twentieth century;
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4.7 |
The twentieth Anniversary of the death of Mozambican President Samora Machel in a plane crash in Mpumalanga while flying over South Africa to Mozambique on 20 October 1986. President Machel strongly supported the anti-apartheid liberation movement and the circumstances surrounding his death have never been fully uncovered. The commemoration of the death of President Machel serves as a reminder of the support and sacrifices made by many in our neighbouring countries in the struggle to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa; and
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4.8 |
The fiftieth Anniversary of the Arrest of 156 Anti-Apartheid Leaders on 5 December 1956 that led to the Treason Trial from 1957 until 1961. The Treason Trial arose from the arrests of 156 people around the country on 5 December 1956, including Albert Luthuli, ZK Matthews, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Helen Joseph, Ruth First, Joe Slovo and Ahmed Kathrada. The Trial lasted for four years - by the time it ended in 1961, charges had been dropped against all but 30. The judges then found that even against these individuals the state had failed to prove its case. All were acquitted.
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Activities can be pitched at different levels: For example, educators could plan classroom activities that are curriculum-based, whilst senior management teams could organise activities that will involve the whole school, including school governing bodies and local communities.
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The national Department of Education will distribute a booklet for schools that focuses on these historical events. Explanations are given of the significance of each event in some detail, with relevant sources and suggestions for activities for the classroom and school. Classroom activities should be designed in such a way that they should form part of the curriculum, and should not be seen as add-on activities.
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SIGNED: J.P. RAULT-SMITH
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2006:06:21
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