Events marking the 30th anniversary of the Soweto uprising began with the unveiling of a memorial to Tsietsi Mashinini, who led the protest march. and later died mysteriously.
Tsietsi Mashinini's mother, Nomkitha, was there to honour her son at the newly opened memorial park opposite the school he attended.
Veterans of the original march were joined by young people, for whom 16 June has been named Youth Day, as they retraced the route, 30 years on.
South African President Thabo Mbeki laid a wreath at the memorial to Hector Peterson, the youngest victim of the uprising, on the spot where he was shot by police in 1976.
A South African youth holds a poster showing the iconic image of a dying Peterson, that helped reignite the battle against apartheid...
... During the march, one man re-enacted that famous photo.
More than 20,000 people listened at the FNB stadium as the president addressed a memorial rally, admitting that poverty and poor education still plague South Africa's young people.
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