The Sharpeville Massacre
By Justin Ellis
Teacher: Mr Hodgson
Sharpeville the town of slaughter
Sharpeville was a crucial movement in the black defiance campaign and did have an impact against white oppression and domination.
This report explains the history before Sharpeville and shows the events that happened after the two parties ANC and PAC made their decision. It also explains what Sharpeville’s measures did to the country nationally and worldwide.
The purpose of the report was to find out if the Sharpeville massacre really was a defining movement against white oppression and domination.
The History before the Sharpeville Massacre
In 1948, the national party of the right-wing white Afrikaners began instituting a series of harsh punishments to the non-white Africans.
The ANC and PAC held a meeting to decide what to do. Leonard Mosala, a senator in the PAC said ‘they won’t take anything we say, because we have neglected them’ (IRR 1976:57). So both groups agreed that they would hold a five day, non-violent protest. In 1959, before the Sharpeville massacre, the PAC with the help of ANC decided to hold a five day, non-violent protest.
They assumed that giving up these pass laws would stop the financial industry, fill up prisons and cause the government into concession.
According to www.mg.co.za/article/2010-03-19-sharpeville-is-still-bleeding, Robert Sobukwe said that “The campaign must be peaceful to avoid a violent government reaction”.
The day of the Sharpeville Massacre
The day of the Sharpeville Massacre on March 21st 1960 was truly a massacre by the African police town where so many black people had gathered to rally.
On the 21st of March 1960, more than about 20 000 people gathered in the black town of Sharpeville near the town of Vereeniging (also now known as Gauteng) at approximately 10am. The black Africans walked up to the gate of the police station and rallied to get a letter that would give them the freedom to move across...