IN HISTORY TODAY (1960): SOUTH AFRICA: On 21 March 1960, many events were planned across South Africa, whereby people protested against the apartheid laws. The apartheid laws made by the previous regime prohibited all Africans living or working in and around towns to carry a document (known as a pass) with them at all times. Failure to carry this document would lead to arrest by the police and to people being sent away from the towns in which they lived. On this day people decided to go to police stations without their passes and to demand that the police arrest them. The idea was that so many people would be arrested and the jails would become so full that the country would not be able to function properly. It was hoped that this would lead to the Pass Laws being scrapped. At Sharpeville in Gauteng, thousands of people gathered at the police station demanding to be arrested. They were met by 300 police officers. After a scuffle broke out, the police opened fire on the crowd. At least sixty-seven people were killed and 180 injured by the shooting. These people were protesting against unfair laws and were really demanding their human rights. Many of these rights are now included in our Bill of Rights, and include the rights to equality, human dignity, freedom of expression, assembly, demonstration, picket and petition, freedom of association and freedom of movement and residence. The Bill of Rights, which is Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 108 of 1996, is the highest law of South Africa. Everyone in South Africa, including the government, must follow it. The rules set out in a Constitution are very hard to change, and so the rights in the Bill of Rights are also very hard to change. This means that it is difficult for anyone to change your rights or to try and take them away from you. Rights and responsibilities Because everyone has these rights regardless of their race, age or gender, we all have to respect other peoples rights as well. It is no good saying that you have these rights if you are doing things at the same time, which go against other peoples rights. And, we must all respect and follow the laws of the country as well.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 10:22:43 +0000
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