Sharpeville

Sharpeville (also spelled Sharpville) is a township situated between two large industrial cities of Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging in southern Gauteng, South Africa. It was established in 1942 by Brian Walker when 5,466 houses were built.

Place in South African history

On 21 March 1960 the Sharpeville massacre occurred when the PAC (Pan Africanist Congress) organised a peaceful protest in which black Africans burnt the pass books which restricted them from going in certain areas. What had started as a peaceful protest soon became violent, as a result of which threatened South African police opened fire on the crowd. 69 people were killed and 178 wounded by police during the violence.

Sharpeville Day has been commemorated since then on 21 March, and since 1994 has been the official Human Rights Day public holiday.

Sharpeville was also the site of a controversial murder in 1983 which led to the arrest, trial, and death sentences (later commuted) of the Sharpeville Six.