Human Rights Day: Why do we commemorate it?
How will you be honouring the day? Answer our poll!
On March 21, South Africans commemorate Human Rights Day.
It's a day that is historically linked to the events in Sharpville on the same day in 1960.
ALSO READ: Spar Gourmet: High-end stores set to open
Just over six decades ago, 69 people lost their lives while 180 were left wounded when police opened fire on a peaceful crowd. They had gathered to protest against the Pass laws.
The Pass laws were an internal system with a passport designed to segregate and restrict the movement of certain groups of people. Pass laws were put in place by the Nationalist Party with the Native Laws Amendment Act of 1952.
This law made it illegal for a Black person to leave a rural area and go
to an urban area without a permit from authorities. On arrival in the
urban area, they had to obtain a permit within 72 hours to look for a
job.
This Reference Book (or Pass) had a photograph, details of the person’s place of origin, tax payments, employment records and any encounters they’ve had with police.
When the late Nelson Mandela was elected the first democratic president of SA, Human Rights Day was officially declared a public holiday.
Since then, March 21 has been commemorated as Human Rights Day, serving as a reminder of the rights of South Africans and what was lost in the fight for them.
Happy Human Rights Day! How will you commemorate the day?
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606.
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
Image courtesy of iStock
Have a similar story or something unique to share? Email us at [email protected], we would love to hear from you!