Grade 9, Habitat-61 Creative Hub
It had been a cloudy day on June 16 1976. Jessica Mkhize was a young teenager with fierce-looking eyes and this brave-spirited lady was standing in front of a group of learners in her school. In her speaking, her voice was hasty as if shouting; her attitude was decisive. “I am fighting for our right to learn in our own mother tongue today,” one girl made the call for the voiceless students to join her. The apartheid government had passed laws that required black school children to learn all subjects in Afrikaans. Thus, they were not willing to be dominated without any reaction. The events that unfolded also revealed that Jessica was capable of leading her peers to the streets to pick up other learners who were on their way from other schools, and with chants of “The whole city is ours – Amandla, Awethu!” ringing in their ears they continued walking. The protest created chaos and unruliness. Police, expecting such a reaction, began to unleash their power on the protesters. Grenades and guns were thrown and fired; people shouted in agony and frustration. Caught in the violence was Tiara Mavunduse, a simple and aspiring student who fell to the ground. Her lifeless body lay cold in the heart of the protest movement. As a result of this, despite having watched the violent scenes, Jessica knelt beside Tiara. She was suffering, but resolved, with Tiara not the only one who had given her life as three others died from police brutality. Still crying, Jessica did not move from this position and the determination did not leave her face. “We will not fail,” she promised her classmates in a shaking voice yet firm. “Their lives must not be wasted even when we go out to kill for our freedom.” Books were where they took shelter, received guidance and a weapon. The stories of defiance and heroism filled their minds and spirits, every page a declaration against oppression. Their unity and mental strength stood as symbols of optimism despite the long arm of apartheid. Jessica was cornered by police one night. They came into her home with force, dragging her out in dead silence. Jessica saw her family members’ eyes, those of friends and fellow activists, silent farewells. In the questioning room, dimly lit, they subjected her to a brutal session. They wanted names, anything about others she could give them so that they could arrest them too.
She said nothing but remained resolute in her stance on this matter. Her silence was an act of defiance as well as the last stand she could make for herself. She knew giving up names would mean betraying comrades who had struggled together with her bravely during those times of hardship. That is when violence escalated. When Jessica’s spirit refused to be broken by the police, force became the order of the day. Although she lost her life due to it, a legacy was left behind that cannot be easily wiped away from history books or from our memories. Her bravery became another story in itself as it was told again by countless others who had gone through similar experiences during this period, which demonstrated how deeply rooted their bravery truly was, even faced with impossible odds such as these. Afterwards, the seeds of change sown by Jessica and her friends began to sprout. The apartheid government eventually broke down and in the new morning, their voices were remembered. The name of Jessica Mkhize, with other names like Tiara Mavunduse among others who died, would be a symbol of resistance as well as unity’s strength. Their story can now be found in history books; it is a message for people to understand that hope is never erased even during times of crisis.