The brutality of the apartheid government was revisited yesterday as the country commemorated the March 21 1960 killing of 69 people in Sharpeville, who had gathered for a peaceful demonstration against “pass laws”.
Many others were injured during the massacre, when police opened fire on men, women and children on the day now observed as Human Rights Day. The victims of the massacre paid a huge price with their lives so that we could all enjoy the freedoms we have today.
While there is very little attention given to the plight of residents of Sharpeville, who continue to struggle with provision of basic services, on March 21 every year politicians descend on the area to make speeches with no lasting effect. Yesterday was no different – there was a ceremonial wreath laying at the monument erected to remember the victims of the massacre, sloganeering and political party T-shirts aplenty.
It is quite ironic that Sharpeville – a place of historic significance in the struggle against apartheid – remains a symbol of failure by the democratic government. The area falls under the failed Emfuleni municipality, which has struggled to maintain its sewerage system for years, leaving residents of Sharpeville locked in their homes by sewage spills. There are many other problems that plague the area, including poor refuse collection, lack of tarred roads, unemployment and other service delivery failures.
So, where were all the politicians who descended on Sharpeville yesterday to remember the people and their struggles when it mattered most? Last year, this newspaper published a series of stories detailing the suffering of many residents who face a myriad of problems, including health risks, and today many of these problems remain.
Instead of plucking Sharpeville out as a moment in time in SA’s history once a year, political leaders and the government ought to use the same vigour to drive out the remnants of the legacy of apartheid by ensuring delivery of basic services to its inhabitants. Without basic services such as clean water, electricity and refuse removal, the people of Sharpeville have nothing to celebrate on Human Rights Day, but despair as their struggle is an unending one.
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