Sharpeville

When was Sharpeville?

March 21 1960

What was Sharpeville a protest about?

Peaceful anti pass campaign

Who was responsible for the Sharpeville protest?

PAC (Pan Africanist Committee)

Why was Sharpeville ready to protest?

Had particular PAC support because of social problems like crime and unemployment

In what year did the PAC set up a branch in Sharpeville?

1959

How many were estimated to be at Sharpeville?

Between 5,000 and 20,000

Why did they target passes?

Police had been carrying out many pass raids

Why was Sharpeville a place likely to protest?

The Group Areas Act had just forced over 10,000 new inhabitants into Sharpeville by force so they were resentful to government

What happened on the 20th March 1960?

Gangs of youth went onto the street and a policeman was stabbed. Protestors were then baton charged

What were Sharpeville protestors told to do?

Leave their passes at home and wait to be arrested outside the police station- they couldn't arrest all of them

At what time did the police open fire?

Around 2pm

What did the police arrive with?

Armoured cars and machine guns

How many people were killed?

69 people- 70% of these were shot in the back trying to flee

How many people were injured?

180

Who had police arrested that potentially led to the massacre?

Nyakane Tsolo the leader of the PAC and the person who was keeping the crowd at bay

Who led the police?

Lt Colonel Pienaar

What did police say about the number of people there?

Said they were threatened by 20,000 protestors though there were about 5000

What did Nyakane Tsolo refuse to do?

Disperse the crowd

What did the police claim happened which caused them to open fire?

A black gangster fired two warning shots into the air

What did Witnesses accuse police of doing after the massacre?

Placing stones behind the police station fence to provide evidence that these had caused the police to open fire

What were the police accused of doing to wounded people?

Kicking and killing them

What did the government declare after Sharpeville?

A state of emergency

When was a state of emergency declared?

30th March 1960

What did the state of emergency allow the government to do?

Arrest 10,000 people

What did the government ban?

Political parties- Unlawful organisations act

What did the government appoint after sharpeville?

Wessels Commission

What was the Wessels Commission said to be?

A white wash

What did the violent wings of organisations do?

Embarked on bombing campaigns

What happened to emmigration?

Fell between 1960-63 more people leaving than entering

What happened to the economy after Sharpeville?

Economic upset as the value of the rand fell

What did the UN do in response to Apartheid?

April 1 1960 condemned the massacre and called for an end to Apartheid

Why were the UN actions not enough?

There was no physical action and many countries were reluctant to impose sanctions because of the threat of the cold war

What act did the state of emergency allow them to pass?

Unlawful Organisation Act 8th April 1960- banned parties that threatened public order

What did the Unlawful Organisations Act mean?

ANC and PAC now banned

What was set up abroad?

ANC hq set up abroad with Tambo head of this