What Is Human Rights Day In South Africa?
Public holidays are celebrated by all, but it’s crucial to comprehend why they are observed. The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre is one of the tragic events in South Africa’s past, and today is Human Rights Day. In order to secure the freedoms we take for granted today, many people gave their lives in this incident in opposition to the apartheid regime.
When Is Human Rights Day Celebrated?
South Africa always observes Human Rights Day on March 21st as a national holiday.
This day is set aside to honor the founding of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
How Did South Africa’s Human Rights Day Begin?
The events of Sharpeville on March 21, 1960, are historically associated with Human Rights Day in South Africa. When police opened fire on a peaceful crowd that had gathered to protest the Pass laws that day, 69 people lost their lives and 180 others were injured.
What Is The Sharpeville Massacre About?
In the black township of Sharpeville, on March 21, 1960, the Pan African Congress (PAC) made the decision to organize a nonviolent protest. Protesters were to march to the neighborhood police station without their passes and request to be arrested. Over 180 people were hurt when police opened fire on the crowd, killing 69 people. Two years after the end of apartheid, in December 1996, South Africa adopted a new constitution that guaranteed the freedoms and rights of all people.
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Why do we celebrate the day?
Every year on March 21, Human Rights Day is observed as a national holiday to remind South Africans of the sacrifices made during the fight for democracy in their country. The following rights are now included in South Africa’s new constitution:
- Everyone has the right to equal protection under the law and is treated equally in front of the law.
- Everyone has the inherent right to dignity and the right to have that right respected and protected.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and to the right to reside anywhere in the nation.
- Everyone has the right to speak their native language and take part in their culture.
- Life is a right that belongs to everyone.
In Summary
The 1960 Sharpeville Massacre is one of the tragic events in South Africa’s past. When police opened fire on a peaceful crowd that had gathered to protest the Pass laws that day, 69 people died. Human Rights Day is observed as a national holiday to remind South Africans of the sacrifices made during the fight for democracy.
