Hector pieterson biography wikipedia

Sam Nzima 8 August in Lillydale , Bushbuckridge Local Municipality — 12 May in Nelspruit [ 1 ] was a South African photographer who took what became the widely-circulated and influential image of Hector Pieterson for the Soweto uprising , but struggled for years to get the copyright. His father worked as a labourer for a white farmer. Sam Nzima first became interested in photography when his teacher showed him his camera and how to use it.

He found a job as a gardener in Henningham. While working there he completed his high school education. In , Nzima found work as a waiter at the Savoy Hotel. At the hotel a photographer named Patrick Rikotso taught him photography skills. Nzima took portraits of workers.

Who had shot hector pieterson and why

When reading the articles of Allister Sparks Sam became very interested in photojournalism. While travelling he wrote a story about taking the bus and sent it with photographs to The World , a black African daily newspaper. Then, in , he invited him to join as a full-time photojournalist. On 16 June , the Soweto uprising began as police confronted protesting students.

When The World was closed down by the government in , the Daily Mail and The Star newspapers requested that Nzima work for them; Nzima refused in fear of the security police killing him. Nzima faced many years of torment while trying to publish the most famous of his pictures, the Pieterson image. Until his demise, he lived in Lillydale, where he managed a photography school.

He served on the councils of the Lillydale municipality and of the Bohlabela District. Nzima would obtain the copyright to his photograph, after many years of trying, when the Argus Newspaper Group, that owned The World , was sold to the Independent Group.