10 Facts About Sharpeville massacre

Sharpeville massacre occurred on 21 March 1960 at the police station in the township of Sharpeville in the then Transvaal Province of the then Union of South Africa.

Sharpeville massacre was first built in 1943 to replace Topville, a nearby township that suffered overcrowding where illnesses like pneumonia were widespread.

Sharpeville massacre had a high rate of unemployment as well as high crime rates.

The Sharpeville massacre police were not completely unprepared for the demonstration, as they had already driven smaller groups of more militant activists away the previous night.

Many of the civilians present attended voluntarily to support the protest, but there is evidence that the PAC used coercive means to draw the crowd there, including the cutting of telephone lines into Sharpeville massacre, and preventing bus drivers from driving their routes.

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Storm of international protest followed the Sharpeville massacre shootings, including sympathetic demonstrations in many countries and condemnation by the United Nations.

Sharpeville massacre marked a turning point in South Africa's history; the country found itself increasingly isolated in the international community.

Sharpeville massacre contributed to the banning of the PAC and ANC as illegal organisations.

The Sharpeville massacre was one of the catalysts for a shift from passive resistance to armed resistance by these organisations.

Sharpeville massacre was the site selected by President Nelson Mandela for the signing into law of the Constitution of South Africa on 10 December 1996.