196021 March 1960 · Sharpeville

Sharpeville massacre

The memorial row of graves for the 69 people killed at Sharpeville in 1960 — Photo: Andrew Hall. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Police opened fire on a crowd protesting against the pass laws outside Sharpeville police station, killing 69 people, many shot in the back. The government banned the ANC and PAC soon afterwards, pushing both towards armed struggle. The date is now South Africa's Human Rights Day and the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Sites

Site 1: Sharpeville Human Rights PrecinctMemorial and exhibition beside the site of the shooting.Map ↗

Guides who take you there

History-only · order never for sale

We haven't found an independent history guide for this yet. Guide here? Tell us about your tours.

Also in Johannesburg & Soweto

More from the Cold War

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.