Isehlakalo somhlaka 21 Mashi 1960, kamuva esaziwa ngokuthi yi-Sharpeville Massacre, esinye sezikhathi ezethusayo kakhulu emlandweni waseNingizimu Afrika. Kunezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zendaba – abanye abantu babike ukuthi abesilisa nabesifazane ababebuthene esiteshini samaphoyisa e-Sharpeville babebhikisha ngokuthula, kanti abanye bethi isixuku besijikijela amatshe – kodwa okungaphikiswa muntu ukuthi inqwaba yabantu baseNingizimu Afrika balahlekelwe yimiphefumulo yabo ezandleni zamaphoyisa aseNingizimu Afrika, bona kanye laba bantu okufanele bebavikele.
Owabe enguMongameli we-ANC, u-Chief Albert Luthuli, wamemezela ukuthi unyaka ka-1960 uzoba i- ‘Year of the Pass’ nomkhankaso kazwelonke we- anti-pass ohlelelwe umhla ka-31 Mashi, okuyisikhumbuzo somkhankaso wokulwa ne- anti-pass yango-1919. Kodwa i-Pan Africanist Congress esanda kumiswa yanciphisa i-ANC ngomkhankaso wayo wokulwa namaphasi owawenzeka ezinsukwini ezilishumi ngaphambili. Icebo labo kwakungukuthi izinkulungwane zabantu abamnyama baseNingizimu Afrika bazinikele eziteshini zamaphoyisa ezweni lonke ngenxa yokwehluleka ukuphatha izincwadi zabo zikamazisi, inhloso bekuwukubeka izwe esimweni lapho amajele ayechichima khona futhi engakwazi ukumumatha inani elithile leziboshwa, abantu uma besejele bengayi emsebenzini, umnotho waseNingizimu Afrika uzoma nse. Imicimbi ayenzekanga njengoba kwakuhleliwe, amaphoyisa enqaba ukubopha noma ngubani, kodwa avele aqopha amagama ababhikishi abafike eziteshini zamaphoyisa. Okungenani bekunjalo ezweni lonke, kodwa elokishini lase-Sharpeville eGoli, izinto ziye zonakala.
Esithangamini sabezindaba esabanjwa ngoMgqibelo mhlaka 19 Mashi 1960, uMongameli we-PAC uRobert Sobukwe wagcizelela ukuthi lo mkhankaso kufanele wenziwe ngokuthula ungabi nodlame, kepha yize bekukhona le nhloso, kanye nemibiko evela kuzintatheli ezazikhona ngosuku lwase-Sharpeville ukuthi isixuku sasibonakala futhi singasabisi nangayiphi indlela, amaphoyisa avulele ngenhlamvu esixukwini kubikwa ukuthi kwabulawa abantu abangu-69, kuhlanganisa nezingane eziyishumi, kwalimala kanzima abanye abangu-180.
I-PAC ayizange izuze ekufunayo kuze kube yilolo suku, yayikude nakho, kepha izindaba zalokho okwenzekile zathenga umhlaba wonke ngesimo saseNingizimu Afrika, futhi zaveza ushintsho ezweni. Ngaphezu kwengcindezi yamazwe omhlaba, lesi sibhicongo saba yisikhuthazi sokusuka ekuphakameni kuya ekulweni nezikhali, ngokwakhiwa kukaPoqo, uphiko lwezempi lwe-PAC, kanye noMkhonto weSizwe, uphiko lwezempi lwe-ANC, abalandela ngemuva nje kwalokho.
Impendulo kahulumeni kwaba wukucindezela phansi kakhulu, kwathi ngomhlaka 8 Ephreli 1960 i-PAC ne-ANC yavinjezelwa. Ngemuva kwalezi zigemegeme imihlangano eyimfihlo ibibanjelwa emahhovisi abantu abazwelana ngokwehlukana, abanjengoNkosikazi Chetty, obenefemu yokuthunga futhi enamakamelo i-Lakhani Chambers, which today form a part of Durban’s Liberation Heritage Route.
Cofa lapha ukulalelela idocumentari yomholi we-PAC , uRobert Sobukwe, nalapha ukulalelaizitori ze-Sharpeville Massacre.
Izithombe ngezilokoto ze- sahistory.org.za