Human Rights Day in South Africa
Commemorates the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the establishment of the SAHRC
Quick Facts
Pre-Independence
Established before national independence
Holiday Type
Classification in South Africa
Established
Officially instituted in South Africa
About Human Rights Day
Commemorates the Sharpeville massacre of 1960 and the establishment of the SAHRC
Human Rights Day commemorates the Sharpeville massacre and the fight for civil rights.
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.
Practical Information in South Africa
Banks
Banks are closed
🏦 ClosedSchools
Educational institutions are closed
🏫 ClosedGovernment Offices
Government services unavailable
🏛️ ClosedHistorical Significance in South Africa
On March 21, 1960, police opened fire on peaceful protesters in Sharpeville, leading to the massacre.
Calendar Details
Calendar Systems
Types of Celebration
memorial
Traditional memorial celebrations
national
Traditional national celebrations
constitutional
Traditional constitutional celebrations
On this day in African history
- 1975 The military junta that rules Ethiopia dissolves the country’s monarchy, and declares the country a Marxist-Leninist state. · Ethiopia
- 1990 Namibia gains independence after 75 years of South African rule.
- 1990 Sam Nujoma sworn in as the first President of the Republic of Namibia, marking the official birth of the sovereign nation. · Namibia
- 1997 UNESCO and the government of Zimbabwe adopt the Harare Declaration on Language Policies in Africa, urging member states to cooperate on cross-border l... · Zimbabwe
- 2005 Sam Nujoma retires as the President of Namibia, facilitating the transfer of power to his successor Hifikepunye Pohamba. · Namibia
- 2006 A failed military coup d’état tries to seize power in The Gambia from Yahya Jammeh. · The Gambia
In South Africa, around 1990
- 1990 South African singer Miriam Makeba returns to South Africa after 31 years in exile. · South Africa
- 1990 Shantytown women strip to the waist and confront bulldozers sent by authorities to demolish their homes in Soweto, South Africa. · South Africa
- 1990 The nominally independent Venda homeland fell in a bloodless military coup led by Colonel Gabriel Ramushwana. · South Africa
- 1990 Shantytown women strip to the waist and confront bulldozers sent by authorities to demolish their homes in Soweto, South Africa. · South Africa
- 1990 Nelson Mandela publicly admits that ANC members had used torture against dissident guerrillas. · South Africa
- 1990 Chris Hani returns to South Africa permanently under a provisional amnesty order following the unbanning of liberation movements. · South Africa
Historical Timeline
Instituted in South Africa
🇿🇦Holiday officially established in South Africa
📅 EstablishedLast observed in South Africa
🇿🇦Final celebration recorded in South Africa
⏰ Last Observed