OPINION: March 21 should remain Sharpeville Day, not Human Rights Day
A reader argues that renaming historic dates has diluted the meaning of key moments in South Africa’s liberation history.
Thabile Mange writes:
According to the democratic government, March 21 marks Freedom Day. However, in reality, it is Sharpeville Day. The ANC has renamed all of our important political days in our calendar, in the process desecrating them. Was it intentional? There is no easy answer.
The high number of people who were shot dead (69) and injured (180) was in Sharpeville. Hence, the day was named Sharpeville Day. When the ANC came to power, it renamed the day to Human Rights Day. To date, there is no plausible explanation for why the day was renamed.
Last year, and the year before, the ANC government commemorated Human Rights Day in other areas, and not in Sharpeville.
This sends a strong message that the government of the day does not recognise Sharpeville Day and the martyrs who died there. It is not a caring government, as it claims to be.
The 1976 revolution was led by students. So, the ANC was not part of it. Is it a surprise that June 16 was also renamed Youth Day? Unfortunately, the day has turned out to be something else. On Youth Day, adults wear a school uniform and go on a drinking spree. They also take photos and put them on social media. Hector Peterson is turning in his grave.
During the apartheid era, we blacks complained about the regime distorting our history. Now, the ANC is doing the same. In my book, March 21 remains Sharpeville Day. I don’t know what Human Rights Day is all about. The struggle continues.
