Commemorates the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the establishment of the SAHRC
The Sharpeville massacre occurred on March 21, 1960, when police opened fire on peaceful demonstrators protesting against pass laws. 69 people were killed and 180 wounded. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) was later launched on March 21, 1996, exactly 35 years after the massacre. The protest was against the Native Laws Amendment Act of 1952, which required all Africans to carry reference books. The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) organized a peaceful anti-Pass campaign where African men would present themselves for arrest without their passes. Today, this date also marks the implementation of the Bill of Rights, a cornerstone of South African democracy.