By 1960, however, anti-apartheid activism reached the town. In my own research on international human rights law, I looked to complexity theory, a theory developed in the natural sciences to make sense of the ways that patterns of behaviour emerge and change, to understand the way that international human rights law had developed and evolved. 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. The incident resulted in the largest number of South African deaths (up to that point) in a protest against apartheid. Eyewitness accounts attest to the fact that the people were given no warning to disperse. The Afrikaner poet Ingrid Jonker mentioned the Sharpeville Massacre in her verse. Later, in the fifties and the sixties, these same goals, enlign poll taxes and literacy tests, were once again fought for by African American leaders, through advocacy and agitation. Some were shot in the back as they fled.[1]. With the election of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa in 1994, the apartheid system ended. A state of emergency was declared in South Africa, more than 11,000 people were detained, and the PAC and ANC were outlawed. The Sharpeville Massacre awakened the international community to the horrors of apartheid. I hated what it did to people, As Israelis dedicated to peace, we oppose Trump's apartheid plan, UN human rights head in unprecedented action against Indian government, Anyone can become a climate refugee. Causes Of The Sharpeville Massacre - 1710 Words | Bartleby The incident resulted in the largest number of South African deaths (up to that point) in a protest against apartheid . Another officer interpreted this as an order and opened fire, triggering a lethal fusillade as 168 police constables followed his example. Selinah Mnguniwas 23 years old and already three months pregnant when she was injured in the Sharpeville massacre on 21 March 1960. 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. Sources disagree as to the behaviour of the crowd: some state that the crowd was peaceful, while others state that the crowd had been hurling stones at the police and that the mood had turned "ugly". And then there are those who feel deeply involved and moved, but also powerless to deal with the enormity of the situation (Krog 221). Under the country's National Party government, African residents in urban districts were subject to influx control measures. We need the voices of young people to break through the silence that locks in discrimination and oppression. Sixty-nine protesters died, and the massacre became an iconic moment in the struggle against apartheid. The South African government began arresting more nonconformists and banning resistance organizations, such as the African National Congress and the Pan African Congress. Massacre in Sharpeville. Other witnesses claimed there was no order to open fire, and the police did not fire a warning shot above the crowd. Along the way small groups of people joined him. Eyewitness accounts and evidence later led to an official inquiry which attested to the fact that large number of people were shot in the back as they were fleeing the scene. It's been 60 years since the Sharpeville massacre, when 69 unarmed civilians were killed by armed South African police on March 21 1960. When police opened . 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. Tafelberg Publishers: Cape Town. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The Department of Home Affairs (a government bureau) was responsible for the classification of the citizenry. Britannica does not review the converted text. The targeted protest became infamous in the Civil Rights Movement, marked Bloody Sunday and was crucial to gaining favor of the public (civilrights.org). Pretoria, South Africa, The blood we sacrificed was worth it - Sharpeville Massacre, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Welcome to the United Nations country team website of South Africa. When the news of the Sharpeville Massacre reached Cape Town a group of between 1000 to 5000 protestors gathered at the Langa Flats bus terminus around 17h00 on 21 March 1960. Throughout the 1950s, South African blacks intensified their resistance against the oppressive apartheid system. Both were tasked with mobilizing international financial and diplomatic support for sanctions against South Africa. Policemen in Cape Town were forcing Africans back to work with batons and sjamboks, and four people were shot and killed in Durban. At its inaugural session in 1947, the UN Commission on Human Rights had decided that it had no power to take any action in regard to any complaints concerning human rights. When it seemed the whole group would cross, police took action, with mounted officers and volunteers arriving at 1:12 pm. However, the 1289 Words 6 Pages It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa. Sharpeville: A Massacre and Its Consequences | Foreign Affairs About 69 Blacks were killed and more than 180 wounded, some 50 women and children being among the victims. Sharpeville Massacre. 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. 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. By lunchtime, the crowd outside the police station had grown to an estimated 20,000 people. The police assembled and used disproportionate responses to the protest. On 20 March Nana Mahomo and Peter Molotsi has crossed the border into Bechuanaland to mobilize support for the PAC. A lot of Afrikaners felt a sense of guilt for the behavior they allowed to happen from their race towards another. These two industries experienced rapid growth in the immediate aftermath of World War II and continued growing into the 1950s and 1960s. However, many people joined the procession quite willingly. A state of emergency was announced in South Africa. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar. What were the consequences of the Sharpeville Massacre? [6]:p.534, By 10:00, a large crowd had gathered, and the atmosphere was initially peaceful and festive. The Sharpeville Massacre On the morning of March 21, 1960, several thousand residents of Sharpeville marched to the township's police station. 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. 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. Following shortly, the Group Areas Act of 1950 was enacted as a new form of legislation alongside the Population Registration Act. The Sharpeville Massacre is commemorated through Human Rights Day, a public holiday in South Africa, which honours those whose lives were sacrificed in the fight for democracy. Furthermore, a new police station was created, from which the police were energetic to check passes, deporting illegal residents, and raiding illegal shebeens. He was followed by Dr. Yusuf Dadoo, Chairperson of the South African Indian Congress and Chairperson of the underground South African Communist Party. In the aftermath of the events of 21 March, mass funerals were held for the victims. Plaatjie, T. (1998) Focus: 'Sharpeville Heroes Neglected', The Sowetan, 20 March.|Reverend Ambrose Reeves (1966). In 1960 it was the site of one of the earliest and most violent demonstrations against apartheid . "[6]:p.538, The uproar among South Africa's black population was immediate, and the following week saw demonstrations, protest marches, strikes, and riots around the country. Lined up outside was a large contingent of armed police with some atop armoured cars. Significant reshaping of international law is often the result of momentous occurrences, most notably the first and second world wars. Police were temporarily paralyzed with indecision. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. [12], Many White South Africans were also horrified by the massacre. The quest for international support, mass mobilization, armed operations, and underground organization became the basis for the ANCs Four Pillars of Struggle. An article entitled "PAC Campaign will be test," published in the 19 March 1960 issue of Contact,the Liberal Party newspaper, described the build up to the campaign: At a press conference held on Saturday 19th March 1960, PAC President Robert Sobukwe announced that the PAC was going to embark on an anti-pass campaign on Monday the 21st. But it was not until after Sharpeville that the UN made clear that the countrys system of racial segregation would no longer be tolerated. When the news of the Sharpeville Massacre reached Cape Town a group of between 1000 to 5000 protestors gathered at the Langa Flats bus terminus around 17h00 on 21 March 1960. The event has been seen by some as a turning point in South African history. But it was not until after Sharpeville that the UN made clear that the countrys system of racial segregation would no longer be tolerated. The OHCHR Regional Office for Southern Africa also produced a series of digital stories on the Sharpeville massacre and young peoples concerns about their human rights. It was a system of segregation put in place by the National Party, which governed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. 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.
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