‘WHILE the events of 21 March 21, 1960 (at Sharpeville) remains regrettable, the truth of the matter is that the anti-pass laws march was an ANC programme which was hijacked by the PAC.
‘It is therefore imperative that as we move South Africa forward, our history is not distorted.’
This was the sentiment shared by Dudu Cele of the ANC’s King Cetshwayo branch at last week’s Human Rights commemoration day held in Ngwelezana Hall.
She said it was important that as people from across the country reflect on the Sharpeville massacre, they must also remember the role played by the ANC.
‘We have observed that whenever this day is commemorated, it is the PAC who wants to take credit for spearheading the march.
‘The reality it was Inkosi Albert Luthuli who announced that we needed to embark on an anti-pass march during our 1959 December 16 conference.
‘This march was to be held in 1960 and led by the ANC. Somehow the PAC held its own conference a week later and hijacked our programme,’ she said.
‘It was because of that fateful day, that today, 21 March is celebrated as a public holiday in honour of those 69 people who were murdered for expressing their human rights. ‘Their crime was to call for the pass laws to be abolished.
Painful as it was, at least we have managed to move on as a nation. We now have a Constitution and a Bill of Rights which form the cornerstone of democracy in this country.
‘The Bill of Rights enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom,’ she said.
