Human Rights Day hijacked by ANC
Mar. 21st, 2007 11:47 pmANC hijacking Human Rights Day: PAC
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| PAC has accused the ANC of hijacking Human Rights Day |
The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) has accused the African National Congress (ANC) of hijacking Human Rights Day and the 47th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre.
The accusation follows a scuffle between PAC supporters and the body guards of Mbhazima Shilowa, the Gauteng premier. The security contingent prevented the PAC supporters from entering the Sharpeville memorial precinct while Shilowa was laying a wreath.
PAC supporters wanted to know why there is no memorial to Robert Sobukwe, the founder of the party and anti-apartheid struggle activist. As a means to make peace, Shilowa made a second trip to Sharpville and took pictures with PAC leaders, but he had no clear answers about Sobukwe’s memorial. Shilowa’s body guards protected him from the angry PAC supporters, who he did not address.
On March 21, 1960, the PAC led an anti-pass demonstration which resulted in 69 people being shot dead by police and 180 wounded.