Last week SA commemorated the Sharpeville massacre day now renamed Human Rights Day. This renaming is an insult to the memory of the heroes of that fateful day. Since 1994, the ANC government has been involved in systematic erasure of significant black history events. It erased Shaka Day into the innocuous Heritage Day, which the white industry has colloquially named "Braai Day".
Similarly, the June 16 1976 Black Power Day has been reduced to Youth Day. The erasure of Sharpeville Day serves as a cover to nurse white sensibilities against feeling of guilt. The policy implications of this erasure is the refusal to pay reparations to the victims.
We do well to remember that former president Thabo Mbeki opposed the court applications of the victims in the US, where they went to seek justice against US companies that helped the apartheid regime murder and maim them.
Human Rights Day must be properly renamed Sharpeville Day to pay appropriate respect to those who died so that we may be freed. Also, not less than R2m reparations must be paid to the survivors of that fateful day. – Andile Mngxitama, MK Party MP, writing in his personal capacity
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