Sobukwe gave hope to the hopeless in Struggle
ON MARCH 21, 1960, the founding member of the PAC, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, and the people of Sharpeville township planned a peaceful protest against the pass laws instituted by the ruling National Party.
In what would become known as the Sharpeville Massacre, the police opened fire at the crowd, killing 69 people and wounding 180.
This day is now known as Human Rights Day, where all South Africans pay tribute to our heroic Struggle icons on March 21 each year.
Human Rights Day was declared an official public holiday in 1994.
It is commemorated annually to reinforce the Bill of Rights included in our Constitution. These rights include: equality, human dignity, freedom of movement and residence, language and culture, and life.
“Robben Island is a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, and one individual who had to overcome such adversity is Sobukwe,” said Morongoa Ramaboa, Robben Island Museum’s spokesperson.
“Born on December 5, 1924, Sobukwe was a leader, a father, a teacher and a hero to many.
“As we pay tribute on Human Rights Day, it is important to reflect on the pivotal role that Sobukwe, amongst others, played in the events that took place in Sharpeville almost six decades ago,” said Ramaboa.
Sobukwe’s house is an important part of the Robben Island tour.
The story behind Sobukwe and his house on the island is narrated by tour guides as they take visitors past such points of interest such as the leper grave, the village and the churches.
Under the leadership of Sobukwe, the PAC organised a five-day peaceful protest against the pass laws, set to start on March 21, 1960.
This protest signified the PAC’s plan to liberate South Africa by 1963.
On the day of the Sharpeville Massacre, Sobukwe left his pass at home and intended to hand himself over at the Orlando police station.
Walking to the police station, he was joined by a group of protesters. Along with most of them, he was arrested and charged with sedition as he arrived at the station.
Sobukwe served three times his initial sentence of three years due to Parliament enacting an amendment law by which the Minister of Justice could prolong his sentence indefinitely.
He became the only prisoner in history to be detained under the law that became known as “The Sobukwe Clause”.
This clause allowed for his sentence to be reviewed annually at the discretion of the Minister of Justice.
It was renewed every year until he left the Island in 1969.
Upon his release he moved to Kimberley.
There Sobukwe could live and work, while he remained under a banning order which prevented him from participating in any political activities.
“Banished to Robben Island, where he stayed under 24-hour guard in solitary confinement away from other prisoners for six years, Sobukwe continued to give hope to the hopeless to continue the good fight for freedom.
“This Human Rights Day may we remember Sobukwe and the countless other freedom fighters who fought bravely for us to enjoy the right to life, equality and human dignity,” Ramaboa said.