Soweto and its aftermath

The student revolt that flared up in Soweto in June 1976 was a clear indication of the extent of mass resistance to oppression and exploitation under apartheid. Yet the revolt posed a number of important questions for a revolutionary strategy in South Africa, especially in terms of its implications for an alliance of workers and students and for its relation with the liberation movements. This article assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy adopted by the student movement inside the country and raises questions about the relevance of the current strategies of the various exiled liberation movements to the changing conditions in the country.