Sharpeville, Gauteng
Encyclopedia
Sharpeville is a township
situated between two large industrial cities of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in southern Gauteng
, South Africa
. It was established in 1942 by Brian Walker when 5,466 houses were built.
occurred when the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) organised a peaceful protest in which black Africans burnt the pass books which restricted them from going in certain areas. What had started as a peaceful protest soon became violent, as a result of which threatened South African police opened fire on the crowd. 69 people were killed and 178 wounded by police during the violence.
Sharpeville Day has been commemorated since then on 21 March, and since 1994 has been the official Human Rights Day public holiday.
Sharpeville was also the site of a controversial murder in 1983 which led to the arrest, trial, and death sentences (later commuted) of the Sharpeville Six
.
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
situated between two large industrial cities of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in southern Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It was established in 1942 by Brian Walker when 5,466 houses were built.
Place in South African history
On 21 March 1960 the Sharpeville massacreSharpeville massacre
The Sharpeville Massacre occurred on 21 March 1960, at the police station in the South African township of Sharpeville in the Transvaal . After a day of demonstrations, at which a crowd of black protesters far outnumbered the police, the South African police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69...
occurred when the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) organised a peaceful protest in which black Africans burnt the pass books which restricted them from going in certain areas. What had started as a peaceful protest soon became violent, as a result of which threatened South African police opened fire on the crowd. 69 people were killed and 178 wounded by police during the violence.
Sharpeville Day has been commemorated since then on 21 March, and since 1994 has been the official Human Rights Day public holiday.
Sharpeville was also the site of a controversial murder in 1983 which led to the arrest, trial, and death sentences (later commuted) of the Sharpeville Six
Sharpeville Six
The Sharpeville Six were six South African protesters convicted of the murder of Deputy Mayor of Sharpeville, Kuzwayo Jacob Dlamini, and sentenced to death....
.