Commemorating Human Rights Day

As March 21st rolls around, it is important to remember that it isn’t just a public holiday; it is a major moment in the fight for freedom in South Africa.

March 21st marks a South African public holiday known as Human Right’s Day. The day pays respect to the 69 people who were killed and the 180 that were injured at the Sharpeville Massacre. The group was protesting apartheid pass laws when they were brutally attacked by the state police. This massacre was a defining moment in the fight against Apartheid. In 1966, the United Nations declared the 21st of March, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In 1996, Nelson Mandela had this to say about Human Rights Day: “It is a day which, more than many others, captures the essence of the struggle of the South African people and the soul of our non racial democracy. It is the day on which we remember and sing praises to those who perished in the name of democracy and human dignity. It is also a day on which we reflect and assess the progress we are making in enshrining basic human rights and values.”

One of our founders, Dr Thandi Ndlovu was actively involved in the fight against apartheid. When her youngest brother, Hastings Ndlovu, was killed on June 16 1976, 16 years after the Sharpeville Massacre, she went into exile to continue the fight for democracy. As we celebrate Human Rights Day 2018, we thank those who came before to ensure that we have the liberties that we enjoy today.