The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has rebuked the South African public and the media for calling 21 March, Human Rights day.
On Tuesday, 20 March, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) lambasted the South African public and the media, for what it sees as a whitewashing of 21 March into Human Rights day, instead of commemorating the Sharpeville and Langa Massacres.
In an irate statement on 20 March, the PAC explained that 21 March “is not a Human Rights day. We were fighting for the return of our stolen land, not to share toilets with other nationalities. Our struggle since 1652 has always been centred on land and not some cheap human rights.”
The PAC says “it is worrying to see some media houses distorting events of 21st March 1960. Some have failed to even tell people that it was Robert Sobukwe who led the country to new political landscape. It must also be recorded that Nyakane Tsolo was the leader of PAC in Sharpeville and he should be remembered. People should stop being obsessed with their little heroes who ran away on the eve of Sharpeville or Langa Massacre.”
Separately on 21 March, a scuffle reportedly broke out between two PAC factions commemorating the Sharpeville Massacre at the Sharpeville cemetery. The punch-up resulted in the interruption of a live South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) broadcast from the cemetery.
An SABC anchor present at the scene, Leanne Manas, confirmed the incident, writing on her Twitter profile that an “Abrupt & frightening end to our broadcast from Sharpeville cemetery as 2 factions of the PAC stormed in front of our cameras & started threatening each other violently. Thanks to amazing crew for shielding & running me out of there! Ducked a few blows.”
Attempts to contact the PAC’s spokesperson, Kenneth Mokgatlhe, were unsuccessful at the time this report was published.
