what caused the sharpeville massacre
During this event 5,000 to 7,000 protesters went to the police station after a day of demonstrations, offering themselves for arrest for not carrying passbooks. Ingrid de Kok was a child living on a mining compound near Johannesburg where her father worked at the time of the Sharpeville massacre. Both were tasked with mobilizing international financial and diplomatic support for sanctions against South Africa. This was in direct defiance of the government's country-wide ban on public meetings and gatherings of more than ten persons. Black citizens began to resist this prejudice though and also used violence against the enforcers of Apartheid. Along the way small groups of people joined him. As the protesters tried to flee the violent scene, police continued to shoot into the crowd. Sharpeville massacre, (March 21, 1960), incident in the Black township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging, South Africa, in which police fired on a crowd of Black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. Dr. Verwoerd praised the police for their actions. The two causes went hand in hand in this, rocketing in support and becoming the main goal of the country - the end of segregation was the most dire problem that the Civil Rights Movement needed to solve. Tear gas was again fired into the crowd but because of wind the gas had little effect on dispersing the students, some of the protesters picked up the tear gas canisters and threw them back at the Guard. Through a series of mass actions, the ANC planned to launch a nationwide anti-pass campaign on 31 March - the anniversary of the 1919 anti-pass campaign. By the end of the day, 69 people lay dead or dying, with hundreds more injured. What happened on 21 March in Sharpeville? At the end of the bridge, they were met by many law enforcement officers holding weapons; thus, the demonstrators were placing their lives in danger. This article first appeared on The Conversation, Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Following the Brown decision, grassroots African American activists began challenging segregation through protests continuing into the 1960s (Aiken et al., 2013). Tafelberg Publishers: Cape Town. The Sharpeville massacre was a turning point in South African history. Police were temporarily paralyzed with indecision. [12], Many White South Africans were also horrified by the massacre. . The apartheid system forcefully suppressed any resistance, such as at Sharpeville on March 21 1960, when 69 blacks were killed, and the Soweto Riots 1976-77, when 576 people died. March 21, is celebrated as a public holiday in honor of human rights and to commemorate the . Police officers attempted to use tear gas to repel these advances, but it proved ineffectual, and the police fell back on the use of their batons. This movement sought to overcome the subjugation the racist South African government and apartheid laws imposed on Blacks. The Sharpeville massacre also touched off three decades of protest in South Africa, ultimately leading to freedom for Nelson Mandela, who had spent 27 years in prison. These resolutions established two important principles: that the human rights provisions in the UN Charter created binding obligations for member states, and the UN could intervene directly in situations involving serious violations of human rights. The events also prompted theInternational Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discriminationwhich took effect on 4 January 1969. Everyone should have an equal rights and better community . Professor of International Law, Lancaster University. This year, UN and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) joined South Africans in commemorating the 61st anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, using the flagship campaign #FightRacism to promote awareness of these critical issues. The argument against apartheid was now framed as a specific manifestation of a wider battle for human rights, and it was the only political system mentioned in the convention: Nazism and antisemitism were not included. (2000) Focus: 'Lest We Forget', Sunday World, 19 March. The Sharpsville Massacre was a seminal moment in the history of South Africa. This riot was planned to be a peaceful riot for a strike on an 8-hour day, ended up turning into a battle between protesters and the police. Attending a protest in peaceful defiance of the apartheid regime, Selinah and many other young people were demonstrating against pass laws designed to restrict and control the movement and employment of millions of Black South Africans. "[6]:p.537, On 21 March 2002, the 42nd anniversary of the massacre, a memorial was opened by former President Nelson Mandela as part of the Sharpeville Human Rights Precinct.[22]. The ratification of these laws may have made the separate but equal rhetoric illegal for the U.S. but the citizens inside it still battled for their beliefs. This detailed act separated tribes based on ethnics; consequently, further detailing segregation amongst the natives . By lunchtime, the crowd outside the police station had grown to an estimated 20,000 people. Similarly, African American leaders from the fifties to the sixties also fought for the end of segregation, in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education. News reports about the massacre spread across the world. A policeman was accidently pushed over and the crowd began to move forward to see what was happening. This set the UN on the path towards the recognition of all human rights for all and, eventually, the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the Universal Periodic Review of the human rights performance of all states. March 21 Massacre in Sharpeville In the Black township of Sharpeville, near Johannesburg, South Africa, Afrikaner police open fire on a group of unarmed Black South African demonstrators,. Individuals over sixteen were required to carry passbooks, which contained an identity card, employment and influx authorisation from a labour bureau, name of employer and address, and details of personal history. These laws restricted blacks movements within the country. Stephen Wheatley is a professor of international law at Lancaster University. On March 21, 1960. Early in 1960 both the ANC and PAC embarked on a feverish drive to prepare their members and Black communities for the proposed nationwide campaigns. All the evidence points to the gathering being peaceful and good humoured. Some were shot in the back as they fled.[1]. [5], The official figure is that 69 people were killed, including 8 women and 10 children, and 180 injured, including 31 women and 19 children. It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa. The significance of the date is reflected in the fact that it now marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Just after 1pm, there was an altercation between the police officer in charge and the leaders of the demonstration. Furthermore, during the nineties to the twenties, leaders of African Americans sought to end segregation in the South, as caused by Plessy v. Ferguson. We must listen to them, learn from them, and work with them to build a better future.. Witness History. In 1994, Mandela signed the nations first post-apartheid constitution near the site of the 1960 massacre. For the next two and a half decades, the commission held to this position on the basis that the UN Charter only required states to promote, rather than protect, human rights. But in the aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre, the UN adopted a more interventionist stance to the apartheid state. The moral outrage surrounding these events led the United Nations General Assembly to pronounce 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial . In 1946, the UN established the Commission on Human Rights, whose first job was to draft a declaration on human rights. The rally began peacefully, the iron bell was rung (usually it was rung to signal victories in football games) and one speaker started to speak. The logjam was only broken after the Sharpeville massacre as the UN decided to deal with the problem of apartheid South Africa. On the same day, the government responded by declaring a state of emergency and banning all public meetings. To read more witness accounts of the Sharpeville Massacre, click on the 'Witness accounts' tab above. The event has been seen by some as a turning point in South African history. The PAC argued that if thousands of people were arrested, then the jails would be filled and the economy would come to a standstill. Sharpeville massacre, (March 21, 1960), incident in the Black township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging, South Africa, in which police fired on a crowd of Black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. Mr. Tsolo and other members of the PAC Branch Executive continued to advance - in conformity with the novel PAC motto of "Leaders in Front" - and asked the White policeman in command to let them through so that they could surrender themselves for refusing to carry passes. The South African Police (SAP) opened fire on the crowd when the crowd started advancing toward the fence around the police station; tear-gas had proved ineffectual. They also perpetuated the segregation within, The increase in the segregationist laws in the 1950s was met with resistance in the form of the Defiance Campaign that started in 1952. The police response to the protest became the primary cause of the massacre. A state of emergency was announced in South Africa. The reactions of white South Africans to the revelations of the Truth Commission can be divided into two main groups There are those who refuse point-blank to take any responsibility and are always advancing reasons why the commission should be rejected and regarded as a costly waste of money. On March 21, 1960, police in Sharpeville, South Africa, shot hundreds of people protesting laws that restricted the movement of blacks. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Its been 60 years since dozens of protesters were killed at a peaceful anti-apartheid rally in South Africa. It also came to symbolize that struggle. On March 30, the South African government declared a state of emergency which made any protest illegal. The adoption of the Race Convention was quickly followed by the international covenants on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and on Civil and Political Rights in 1966, introduced to give effect to the rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This abuse towards people of colour in South Africa made people around the world want to protest against South Africa's government. This march is seen by many as a turning point in South African history. [10], PAC actively organized to increase turnout to the demonstration, distributing pamphlets and appearing in person to urge people not to go to work on the day of the protest. In order to reduce the possibility of violence, he wrote a letter to the Sharpeville police commissioner announcing the upcoming protest and emphasizing that its participants would be non-violent. Our work on the Sustainable Development Goals. There were also youth problems because many children joined gangs and were affiliated with crimes instead of schools. This day is now commemorated annually in South Africa as a public . [6]:p.534, By 10:00, a large crowd had gathered, and the atmosphere was initially peaceful and festive. Sharpeville is a township near Vereeniging, in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Sharpeville Massacre. The protesters offered themselves up for arrest for not carrying their passes. As the small crowd approached the station, most of the marchers, including Sobukwe, were arrested and charged with sedition. The massacre was photographed by photographer Ian Berry, who initially thought the police were firing blanks. Krog was one of these Afrikaners. The presence of armoured vehicles and air force fighter jets overhead also pointed to unnecessary provocation, especially as the crowd was unarmed and determined to stage a non-violent protest. The policemen were apparently jittery after a recent event in Durban where nine policemen were shot. Unfortunately, police forces arrived and open fired on the protesters, killing ninety-six in what became known as the Sharpeville massacre. and [proved to be] the only antidote against foreign rule and modern imperialism (Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom 2008, 156) . He was followed by Dr. Yusuf Dadoo, Chairperson of the South African Indian Congress and Chairperson of the underground South African Communist Party. It also contributed the headline story at the Anti-Racism Live Global Digital Experience that marked March 21 internationally with acclaimed artists, actors and prominent speakers from South Africa including Thuli Madonsela, Zulaikha Patel and Zwai Bala. Although the protests were anticipated, no one could have predicted the consequences and the repercussions this would have for South African and world politics. . Yet only three policemen were reported to have been hit by stones - and more than 200 Africans were shot down. The Black Consciousness Movement sparked mass protests among Blacks and prompted other liberation movements to demonstrate against the apartheid. The commission completed this task, under the chairmanship of Eleanor Roosevelt, when it finalised the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. On 24 March 1960, in protest of the massacre, Regional Secretary General of the PAC, Philip Kgosana, led a march of 101 people from Langa to the police headquarters in Caledon Square, Cape Town. However, the police simply took down the protesters names and did not arrest anyone. The Sharpeville massacre sparked hundreds of mass protests by black South Africans. The key developments were the adoption of Resolution 1235 in 1967, which allowed for the examination of complaints of gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as exemplified by the policy of apartheid, and Resolution 1503 in 1970, which allowed the UN to examine complaints of a consistent pattern of gross and reliably attested violations of human rights. Baileys African History. The people were throwing their hats to the aeroplanes. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Committee Member - MNF Research Advisory Committee, PhD Scholarship - Uncle Isaac Brown Indigenous Scholarship. On March 21, an estimated 7,000 South Africans gathered in front of the Sharpeville police station to protest against the restrictive pass laws. According to his "Testimony about the Launch of the Campaign," Sobukwe declared: At the press conference Sobukwe emphasized that the campaign should be conducted in a spirit of absolute non-violence and that the PAC saw it as the first step in Black people's bid for total independence and freedom by 1963 (Cape Times, 1960). That impact is best broken down into its short-term, medium-term, and long-term significance. The police ordered the crowd to disperse within 3 minutes. The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre was the result of a peaceful protest regarding racist South African policies of apartheid. The Sharpeville Massacre awakened the international community to the horrors of apartheid. Sharpeville, a black suburb outside of Vereeniging (about fifty miles south of Johannesburg), was untouched by anti-apartheid demonstrations that occurred in surrounding towns throughout the 1950s. Langa Township was gripped by tension and in the turmoil that ensued, In the violence that followed an employee of the Cape Times newspaper Richard Lombard was killed by the rioting crowd. After apartheid ended, President Nelson Mandela chose Sharpeville as the place to sign South Africas new constitution on December 10, 1996. This translates as shot or shoot. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. The impact of the events in Cape Town were felt in other neighbouring towns such as Paarl, Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Hermanus as anti-pass demonstrations spread. Participants were instructed to surrender their reference books (passes) and invite arrest. It's been 60 years since the Sharpeville massacre, when 69 unarmed civilians were killed by armed South African police on March 21 1960. As a result of racial segregation, resistance from coloured people in both the United States and South Africa escalated. In Pretoria a small group of six people presented themselves at the Hercules police station. One way of accomplishing this was by instilling laws thatd force segregation, classification, educational requirements, and economic purposes. "[18][19], Since 1994, 21 March has been commemorated as Human Rights Day in South Africa. This shows a significant similarity in that both time periods leaders attempted to achieve the goal of ending. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The protesters offered themselves up for arrest for not carrying their passes. It was adopted on 21 December 1965. The Sharpeville Massacre, 1960 Police Attack Demonstrators in Sharpeville, March 21, 1960 Few events loom larger in the history of the apartheid regime than those of the afternoon of March 21, 1960, in Sharpeville, South Africa. As part of its response, the General Assembly tasked the UN Commission on Human Rights to prepare the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the first global human rights treaty. The University had tried to ban the protest; they handed out 12,000 leaflets saying the event was cancelled. Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops. Freedom Now Suite includes the composition Tears for Johannesburg in response to the massacre. Other PAC members tried to stop bus drivers from going on duty and this resulted in a lack transport for Sharpeville residents who worked in Vereeniging. Amid confusion, two shots were fired into the air by somebody in the crowd. It was adopted on December 21 1965. It was a system of segregation put in place by the National Party, which governed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. Selinah was shot in her leg but survived the massacre. Under the country's National Party government, African residents in urban districts were subject to influx control measures. That date now marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and without the Sharpeville massacre, we may not have the international system of human rights that we have today. After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. the Sharpeville Massacre Police arrested more than 11,000 people and kept them in jail. Some 20,000 Blacks gathered near a police station at Sharpeville, located about 30 miles (50 km) south of Johannesburg. Police witnesses claimed that stones were thrown, and in a panicked and rash reaction, the officers opened fire on the crowd. During the Eisenhower administration, Congress passed two measures that proved to be ineffective: the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Civil Rights Act of 1960. A United Nations photograph by Kay Muldoon, Courtesy of the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa, SATIS (Southern Africa - the Imprisoned Society). Others were throwing rocks and shouting "Pigs off campus. In the late 1980s, one of the most popular anti-apartheid movements that contributed to the end of the apartheid was the Free Mandela campaign. Sharpeville marked a turning point in South Africa's history; the country found itself increasingly isolated in the international community. The term human rights was first used in the UN Charter in 1945. It is likely that the police were quick to fire as two months before the massacre, nine constables had been assaulted and killed, some disembowelled, during a raid at Cato Manor. All that changed following the worlds moral outrage at the killings. Many people set out for work on bicycles or on foot, but some were intimidated by PAC members who threatened to burn their passes or "lay hands on them"if they went to work (Reverend Ambrose Reeves, 1966). As segregation and civil rights become national topics, their. Only the four Native Representatives and members of the new Progressive Party voted against the Bill. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}264118S 275219E / 26.68833S 27.87194E / -26.68833; 27.87194. Sharpeville was first built in 1943 to replace Topville, a nearby township that suffered overcrowding where illnesses like pneumonia were widespread. Migration is a human right, How the Sharpeville massacre changed the United Nations, Extra 20% off selected fashion and sportswear at Very, Up to 20% off & extra perks with Booking.com Genius Membership, $6 off a $50+ order with this AliExpress discount code, 10% off selected orders over 100 - eBay discount code, Compare broadband packages side by side to find the best deal for you, Compare cheap broadband deals from providers with fastest speed in your area, All you need to know about fibre broadband, Best Apple iPhone Deals in the UK March 2023, Compare iPhone contract deals and get the best offer this March, Compare the best mobile phone deals from the top networks and brands. As they attempted to disperse the crowd, a police officer was knocked down and many in the crowd began to move forward to see what had happened. Pass laws intended to control and direct their movement and employment were updated in the 1950s. However, Foreign Consulates were flooded with requests for emigration, and fearful White South Africans armed themselves. In 1960 it was the site of one of the earliest and most violent demonstrations against apartheid. Its been 60 years since the Sharpeville massacre, when 69 unarmed civilians were killed by armed South African police on March 21 1960. Perseverance and determination are also needed to build on the lessons learnedfrom the Sharpeville tragedy and repair the injustices of the past. The police were armed with firearms, including Sten submachine guns and LeeEnfield rifles. Crowds fleeing from bullets on the day of the Massacre. [21], In 1998, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) found that the police actions constituted "gross human rights violations in that excessive force was unnecessarily used to stop a gathering of unarmed people. Time Magazine, (1960), The Sharpeville Massacre, A short history of pass laws in South Africa [online], from, Giliomee et al. By continuing to use this site, you consent to the terms of our cookie policy, which can be found in our. These resolutions established two important principles: that the human rights provisions in the UN Charter created binding obligations for member states, and that the UN could intervene directly in situations involving serious violations of human rights. The South African government then created the Unlawful Organizations Act of 1960 which banned anti-apartheid groups such as the Pan Africanist Congress and the African National Congress. The Sharpeville massacre sparked hundreds of mass protests by black South Africans, many of which were ruthlessly and violently crushed by the South African police and military. Baileys African History Archive (BAHA)Crowds fleeing from bullets on the day of the Massacre. Fewer than 20 police officers were present in the station at the start of the protest. There were 249 victims in total, including 29 children, with 69 people killed and 180 injured. Its similar to an article in south africa that people have with racial segregation between black and white . Robert Sobukwe and other leaders were arrested and detained after the Sharpeville massacre, some for nearly three years after the incident.
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