2.1 Reactions to the sharpville incident  (Page 2/4)

SOURCE E: An extract from a Republican Campaign Speech

Reaction of the South African Government: During his first public appearance since the shooting, Verwoerd said the following in Meyerton in a republican campaign speech and he spoke exactly the words the whites wanted to hear:

‘Nobody should be at all upset. Nobody should think that law and order could not be maintained.

The black masses of South Africa – and I know Bantu in all parts of the country – are orderly and peace-loving. They are loyal to the government and administration of the country…The groups of people seeking their own gain are small and they make use of mass psychology at mass gatherings, and by threats and other means are sometimes the cause of the trouble…We do not intend to be perturbed about what is done and said in the outside world in all ignorance.’

SOURCE F

Reaction from the ANC

Some ANC leaders alleged that the crowds that gathered at Sharpeville were not members or supporters of the PAC.

The crowds were not fully aware of what was going on.

It is said that they did not realize that they were there as part of the PAC protest.

Claimed that the African people hold the police and the PAC jointly responsible for the Sharpeville martyrdoms: the police for the actual killings, the PAC for its “untimely” and “irresponsible” action.

The ANC was about to organize its own anti-pass protests, which, according to what informants claimed, were better planned.

It can be safely assumed from reports of the judicial commissions, that the crowd was passive. That alone, however, is not positive proof either of the ANC claim that the crowds gathered in

ignorance of the purpose of the meeting, or of the PAC claim that they were all there to protest, in an orderly fashion, against passes. The police allegation that the crowds were dangerous, hostile, and threatening was not supported by the evidence given by independent eyewitnesses.

(Quoted from: Patrick van Rensburg: Guilty Land, 1962

SOURCE G: EXTRACT OF ROBERT MAJA’S EVIDENCE before the Court of Enquiry, Sharpeville Shooting:

Examined by Mr. Kentridge:

Mr. Maja, you are a Minister of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa? – I am.

Do you live in Sharpeville? – I do

On March 21 of this year, were you in Sharpeville?– I was.

At about what time did you leave your house on the morning of the 21st? – I am not so sure about the time but I think it was between ten and eleven.

And where did you go? – I went to a Minister, Mr Voyi, who is a Minister of the Anglican Church.

In Sharpeville? – Yes, at Sharpeville.

When you arrived at his house, what – did you find him home? – I found his wife at home and I enquired from her where he was, and she told me that he had gone to the Police Station

Did you find a crowd of people at the Police Station? – I found many people on the open, there.

Near the Police Station? – Yes.

Did you spend some time there among the crowd? – I did.

Can you tell us what the mood of the crowd was at that time? – They were happy.

Did the crowd seem to you to be aggressive? – No.