Vincent Thamae, a resident of Sharpeville, has vivid memories of his grandfather recounting tales of the tragic events of the Sharpeville massacre. Back on March 21, 1960, the apartheid police in South Africa unleashed a barrage of gunfire on peaceful demonstrators in a township near Johannesburg, resulting in the deaths of numerous individuals, including men, women, and children.
Thamae, reflecting on his grandfather’s words, expressed how he now comprehends the inhumanity behind the massacre. Over the years, he has been diligently gathering accounts from survivors and families of the victims for Voices of Sharpeville. Presently, he acts as a link between these survivors and a legal team supporting their pursuit of a class-action lawsuit against the government.
The lawsuit aims to secure compensation for the victims and their descendants, while also urging the government to repeal a law from the apartheid era that shields officials from accountability regarding the massacre.
The protests in Sharpeville were against the oppressive apartheid pass laws that restricted movement and enforced racial segregation. Official police records state that 69 people were killed and 180 injured during the incident, although research cited by the plaintiffs suggests higher figures of 91 fatalities and over 238 wounded.
Abram Mofokeng, now 87, vividly recalls the harrowing day when he was shot while trying to escape the violence, leaving a bullet lodged in his back. Mofokeng emphasized the lasting impact of the events, stating, “It is not possible to forget what happened in 1960.”
Mofokeng, alongside two other Sharpeville residents, Abram Mofokeng and Ishmael Poho, who lost their fathers in the massacre, are serving as lead plaintiffs in the case filed by Lawyers for Human Rights. The legal action has garnered support from over 70 survivors and relatives seeking justice.
Efforts to seek compensation have been ongoing for years, with around 258 claims initially filed after the massacre. However, the Indemnity Act enacted by the government in 1961 shielded officials from legal repercussions, effectively quashing the claims.
Despite the official end of apartheid in 1994, the Indemnity Act remains in force, prompting calls from the legal representatives of the Sharpeville plaintiffs to have it annulled, citing a violation of their constitutional right to access justice. The case is portrayed as an essential step in addressing the unresolved issues from South Africa’s history, with Dan Leader, a partner at Leigh Day, underscoring its significance in the nation’s quest for closure.
If successful in overturning the Indemnity Act, the plaintiffs’ claims for compensation can progress, with the potential for various reparations tailored to individual claimants, potentially including educational benefits for their children. Thamae, a member of the Pan Africanist Congress, remains optimistic that reparations can extend beyond monetary compensation, addressing the long-standing repercussions of land dispossession experienced by many Sharpeville residents.
The process of collecting stories from survivors and descendants is described as a slow and emotionally taxing endeavor, reopening old wounds that have never fully healed. Thamae lamented the incomprehensible actions of the government during the massacre, emphasizing the need for acknowledgment and reconciliation regarding the tragic events of Sharpeville.
