In which township is Sharpeville?
Gauteng
Sharpeville (also spelled Sharpville) is a township situated between two large industrial cities, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, in southern Gauteng, South Africa. Sharpeville is one of the oldest of six townships in the Vaal Triangle.
What happened in the Sharpeville township?
Sharpeville massacre, (March 21, 1960), incident in the Black township of Sharpeville, near Vereeniging, South Africa, in which police fired on a crowd of Black people, killing or wounding some 250 of them. It was one of the first and most violent demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa.
Where was the Sharpeville massacre?
Sharpeville
Sharpeville massacre/Location
What does the word Sharpeville mean?
/ (ˈʃɑːpvɪl) / noun. a town in E South Africa: scene of riots in 1960 (when 69 demonstrators died), 1984, and 1985 (when 19 died)
Where is the Bantu homeland?
South Africa
Bantustan, also known as Bantu homeland, South Africa homeland, or Black state, any of 10 former territories that were designated by the white-dominated government of South Africa as pseudo-national homelands for the country’s Black African (classified by the government as Bantu) population during the mid- to late 20th …
What was happening on Human Rights Day?
As South Africa celebrates Human Rights Day, the country reflects on a day defined by the horrific Sharpeville massacre. That day, March 21, 1960, began with demonstrations in the township of Sharpeville against the apartheid government’s pass laws, which restricted the rights of the Black people in the country.
How did Steve Biko influence the Soweto uprising?
He saw the power that could come from organizing as blacks. Black Consciousness spread widely among youth and was a major spark igniting the 1976 Soweto uprising and leading to a resurgence in the national freedom movement.
How many people died in the Sharpeville massacre?
On March 21, 1960, police officers in a black township in South Africa opened fire on a group of people peacefully protesting oppressive pass laws, killing 69. The anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre is remembered the world over every March 21 on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Apartheid and the pass system
When did the Sharpeville shooting happen in South Africa?
On March 21, 1960, South African police fired on a group of Africans who were protesting in Sharpeville township against the apartheid policies of the government, killing and wounding as many as 330 victims.
Who was the photographer of the Sharpeville massacre?
Many were shot in the back as they fled. The massacre was photographed by photographer Ian Berry, who initially believed the police were firing blanks. In present-day South Africa, 21 March is celebrated as a public holiday in honour of human rights and to commemorate the Sharpeville massacre.
Why was there a protest in Sharpeville?
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. On March 21, an estimated 7,000 Africans gathered in front of the Sharpeville police station to protest against the restrictive pass laws.