Published March 09, 2021
Human Rights Day on the 21st of March has been enshrined as a public holiday in South Africa for almost three decades now. The Sharpeville massacre, which this day commemorates, is now seen as one of the defining moments of the liberation struggle and a turning point in South Africa’s journey to democracy.
On 21 March, 1960, a crowd of about 5 000 people gathered in Sharpeville, Vereeniging, to protest Apartheid era pass laws. As protesters gathered at the Sharpeville police station, police fired on the crowd, killing 69 people and seriously wounding 180 people. A state of emergency was declared after the event, with over 11 000 people detained by security forces. The Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) as well as other organisations were banned by the Apartheid government. International criticism of the apartheid regime followed.
Harold Rubin’s artwork Sharpeville, a series of six drawings completed in 1961, responds to this event with line drawings. “The works are striking for their immediate likeness to Goya's Disaster of War, yet distinct for their primitive expressionistic style,” wrote O’Toole in Artthrob magazine.
The Sharpeville massacre took place over 60 years ago, yet this event has continued to influence South Africa today, with many families having lost relatives on this day.
Sharpeville will be on display as part of the Handle With Care exhibition and is on long-term loan to the Javett-UP Art Centre.