Turning Points in Modern South African History is one of 8 topics in the Grade 9 Social Sciences CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. On which date in 1976 did the Soweto uprising begin?
16 June
9 August
21 March
27 April
Answer: 16 June — The Soweto uprising began on 16 June 1976, when thousands of school students marched to protest the Afrikaans language policy.
Easy
2. What is 16 June commemorated as in South Africa today?
Youth Day
Women's Day
Freedom Day
Heritage Day
Answer: Youth Day — 16 June is commemorated annually in South Africa as Youth Day, honouring the students who stood up against apartheid in 1976.
Medium
3. What government policy was the immediate cause of the Soweto uprising?
Answer: the requirement for black students to be taught certain subjects in Afrikaans — The immediate cause was a government policy requiring black students to be taught certain subjects in Afrikaans, a language many students and teachers neither spoke fluently nor wished to be forced to use.
