The Sharpeville 69 were born in South Africa into a system of racism and oppression. For much of their lives, they were made to endure harsh treatment at the hands of cruel regime, bent on demoting the group to a life where they were to accept the role of belonging to an inferior, sub-human class of people based on the colour of their skin.
The Sharpeville 69 were born in South Africa into a system of racism and oppression. For much of their lives, they were made to endure harsh treatment at the hands of cruel regime, bent on demoting the group to a life where they were to accept the role of belonging to an inferior, sub-human class of people based on the colour of their skin.
The Sharpeville 69 were to be educated by this system, employed by this system and reside in this system, but they chose to resist it. Peaceful demonstrators, the Sharpeville 69 were demanding what any human being would – the right to equality.
Unarmed, they marched with thousands of protesters, converging at the local police station without passbooks that they were required to carry by law, identifying them as secondrate citizens in a country that belonged to them.
The Sharpeville 69 were shot at when police opened fire on he crowd after a deliberate decision was made to respond to stones thrown at the police vehicles.
After sustaining multiple shots – most of which were fired at their backs – the Sharpeville 69 succumbed to their wounds and died at 1.30pm on Monday, 21 March 1960 – eight minutes after theshooting began.
The 69 are survived by an enormous family brothers and sisters who were supporters of their cause, children who were victors of their struggle, and grandchildren who are the inheritors of their liberation.
The 69 left behind many treasures, including a sense of spirit, courage and self-determination. Most of all, the Sharpeville 69 left behind an eternal quest for justice.It is for this reason that the Sharpeville 69 will be remembered forever.
Speaking after the death of the Sharpeville 69, Colonel Pienaar, the commanding officer present at the scene said: “The native mentality does not allow them to gather for a peaceful demonstration. For them to gather means violence.”
Carel de Wet, Member of Parliament and former cabinet minister in Balthazar Johannes Vorster’s government, said that the killing would “teach kaffirs a lesson”. Elsewhere, however, condemnations poured in.
The Liberian president called the killing “the vilest, most reckless and unconscionable action in history”. In London,a crowd shouting “murder!”
had to be dispersed from South Africa House because their protest “disrupted” a session in the House of Commons.
Messages of anger, sympathy, and even shame poured in from around the globe as the world mourned the death of the Sharpeville 69 as well as the death of humanity in apartheid South Africa. Their memorial service will take place on 21 March.
