SA celebrates Human Rights Day

By Rhodé Marshall
19 March 2008

On 21 March 1960, 300 demonstrators lead by the Pan Africanist Congress took to the streets of Sharpeville to hand over their passes at the police station in defiance of the pass laws.

The police then opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people and injuring 180.

Chairperson of the South African Human Rights Commission, Jody Kollapen says there are various things about the day that stands out for him.

“It was a peaceful demonstration and no-one can dispute at that as there was no violence on the part of the demonstrators and what they had gone to do there.

“It was something that today everyone in South Africa can agree was valid. They went to protest against the law that requires them to carry passes,” says Kollapen.

Kollapen says the consequence of their demonstration the many of the protesters were shot in the back.

“That in a sense epitomise the kind of terror of apartheid where South Africans try to convince the government to change and the government responding with violence,” explains Kollapen.

Kollapen says the violence of the South African government made it impossible for citizens not to act forcefully.

“We saw the beginning of an arms struggle and we saw a further crackdown by government. But I think it began a development of a new phase in our struggle that led to our ultimate liberation in 1994.”