SHARPEVILLE. – It has been 63 years since 69 men and women who held a peaceful protest against pass laws were killed in cold blood, yet survivors say they are yet to see the fruits of what they fought for. Survivors of the Sharpeville Massacre used the commemoration of the Human Rights Day to lash at the ANC government.
The day started with a wreath laying ceremony at the Phelindaba Cemetery and proceeded to the Sharpeville Memorial site. The last stop was the Sharpeville Cricket Pitch where hundreds of crowds gathered to pay their respects to fallen heroes.
During the event, victims took the stage to express their disappointment, saying that the government had failed them. Survivor and Khulumani Support Group activist Selloane Phethane pleaded with the government to support victims, she said victims were living in hunger and in dire conditions.
“Our houses were left damaged during the apartheid regime and they are still like that. We have asked for the this day to be renamed to “Sharpeville Shooting Day,” she said.
Another survivor Abraham Mofokeng said he still recalls the day as though it was yesterday, saying that the government had not done much to make a difference in their lives.
Various political parties present at the commemoration, urged the community to use 2024 elections to change the current situation and give dignity to both survivors and fallen heroes.
