On the morning of March 21, 1960, Robert Sobukwe, the 35-year-old leader of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), began his day in the Soweto township of Johannesburg with a routine breakfast. After saying goodbye to his wife, Veronica, he set off for the Orlando police station, accompanied by six men from his neighborhood. As they walked in solemn silence, Sobukwe remarked, “Boys, we are making history.” They were headed to the station to peacefully surrender themselves in protest against South Africa’s discriminatory pass laws, which required Black South Africans to carry passes when entering “white” areas.
By 8:20 am, Sobukwe and his followers, numbering between 150 to 200 people, approached the police station. After a brief delay, Sobukwe confronted Captain JJ de Wet Steyn, stating, “We have no passes and we want the police to arrest us.” This was part of Sobukwe’s larger, nationwide non-violent protest against the apartheid-era pass laws. Despite his hopes for a peaceful resolution, tension was mounting elsewhere.
While Sobukwe awaited arrest, news reached him that police had opened fire on a peaceful protest in Bophelong, a township near Vanderbijlpark, killing at least two PAC supporters. Sobukwe’s protest was becoming increasingly overshadowed by escalating violence. Later, Sobukwe was arrested and driven to his wife’s clinic to collect his house keys, as police searched his home and seized “subversive” material. He was later booked into Johannesburg’s central police station.
Meanwhile, in Sharpeville, about 55 kilometers south of Orlando, thousands of Black South Africans had gathered to protest the pass laws. The mood among the protesters was reportedly calm, with some even smiling and raising their fists in solidarity. However, the peaceful demonstration took a tragic turn around 1:30 pm when police, after an altercation, opened fire on the crowd. The shooting continued for over 40 seconds, with some officers reloading and firing again.
The police reported 69 deaths and 180 injuries, but more recent investigations suggest that at least 91 people were killed, with many shot in the back as they fled. The tragedy, now known as the Sharpeville Massacre, marked a pivotal moment in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.
Sobukwe, who had worked to ensure his protest remained peaceful, was devastated when he heard the news. According to one of his fellow inmates, Sobukwe was deeply upset by the loss of life, having done his best to ensure a disciplined and non-violent campaign. The massacre was a stark contrast to the ideals Sobukwe had envisioned for the protest, where people simply demanded an end to the humiliating pass laws that symbolized their oppression.