Human Rights Day

Wednesday, March 21st - Human Rights Day - was a public holiday in South Africa.  It commemorates the start of the country's Human Rights Commission, launched on March 21, 1996.  But, the more common remembrance on this day goes back 36 years earlier to March 21, 1960.  On that day, sixty-nine protestors were killed by the police.  Called the Sharpeville Massacre, they were killed when they gathered to protest the law that required all adults to carry a correct "pass" to enter a "white area."

I was trying to excuse myself for not knowing much beyond the name "Sharpeville Massacre" (because I was only 8 at the time), but a local massacre also happened on this day in 1985.  In a town very close to Port Elizabeth, a funeral was going to be held for some individuals who had been shot while protesting here.  The funeral was called for March 21st.  The federal government was very nervous that year about what they deemed to be gatherings of terrorists (and, funerals were a common time for "freedom fighters" to come together).  They heard about the funeral called for March 21 and cancelled it.  Yes, the order came all the way from Pretoria.  They also supposedly gave the order to use live ammunition against those who violated the order.

Meanwhile, the people in the townships did not hear that the funeral was canceled.  People from one township had to walk to another township where the funeral was to be held.   As they were walking (unarmed), the police opened fire.  The first person shot was a 10-year old boy on a bicycle.  He lived,  but over twenty people died that day.  This is called the Langa Massacre.  Even though I was an adult in 1985, I don't remember hearing about it.  (Or was it that I was not paying attention?)

There is an memorable exhibit about the Langa massacre at the Red Location Museum, but again, talking with the Mamas really brings it home.  One Mama said to me that her cousin was killed that day, and that the family never got back his body (from the police).  "If we only had one bone," she said, "we could bury him in peace."