Sharpeville massacre survivors start legal fight for justice in South Africa
A survivor of the 1960 Sharpeville massacre is leading a new legal challenge to overturn an indemnity law that protected perpetrators of the apartheid-era violence. The case seeks justice for the victims of the police shooting that became a turning point in the anti-apartheid movement.
Why it matters
The case addresses unresolved historical trauma and the limitations of previous reconciliation efforts in post-apartheid South Africa.
Image caption, Abraham Mofokeng was 20 when he joined a peaceful protest in Sharpeville
Abraham Mofokeng still carries the wounds of the bloody suppression of a protest in South Africa 66 years ago. In what became known as the Sharpeville massacre, police infamously opened fire on thousands of peaceful demonstrators.
A bullet is still lodged in Mofokeng's spine, and he has a gentle limp from a gunshot to the leg.
"We weren't seen as people," the 86-year-old tells the BBC as he explains the reasons he joined the demonstration on 21 March 1960 against the repressive laws of the white-minority government.
"All you were good for was working. You couldn't question them, you were supposed to just do as you're told."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in