Sharpeville Massacre Flashcards
When was the Sharpeville Massacre?
21st March 1960
Who was the Sharpeville Massacre led by?
Nyakane Tsolo
Who was Nyakane Tsolo?
A local PAC leader.
Where did the crowd gather?
Outside the Sharpeville police station.
What was the crowd demanding from the police?
They demanded to be arrested for not carrying their passes.
What was the name of the Lieutenant that arrived with police reinforcements?
Colonel Pienaar
Give 2 reasons why the policemen at the scene were bad.
- Poorly trained
- Not familiar with crowd control
What percentage of people were shot in the back?
70%
What was the official number of deaths?
69
What was the official number of those wounded?
186
Who exonerated the police of any blame? What did they say instead?
The Government Wessels Commission of Enquiry - said the police acted in self defence against a hostile crowd.
Who passed the Security Council Resolution 134? What did this mean?
The UN - it comdemned the South African government, calling for the abolition of apartheid.
When was the global Anti-Apartheid Movement founded?
1960
Where was the AAM founded?
London
What two groups were created following the events at Sharpeville?
MK and Poqo
When was the State of Emergency declared?
30 March, 1960
What made the ANC and PAC illegal in 1960?
The State of Emergency declaration.
When was John Vorster appointed Minister of Justice?
1961
When was the Sabotage Act introduced?
1962
What was the Sabotage Act? What did it mean for people?
- Carried the dealth penalty for acts of sabotage
- Guilt was implied; had to prove innocence
- Allowed security forces to use torture to extract confessions
What did the General Laws Ammendment Act of 1963 mean?
Allowed authorities to arrest anyone for 90 days without having to bring charges against them or give them access to a lawyer.
What was the Subukwe Clause? What did it allow the security forces to do?
Keep people in prison beyond the end of their sentence.
When did the Bantu Laws Ammendment Act come into effect?
1965
What did the Bantu Laws Ammendment Act entail? What did this lead to?
- Empowered authorities to arrest any African from any urban or white farming areas for any reason.
- It gave authorities complete power over Africans in ‘white’ South Africa; anyone who caused problems, or it was felt had potential to do so, could be removed.
