1960 in South Africa

Events

February

• 3 – Harold Macmillan makes the Wind of Change speech to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town.

March

• 21 – Police shoot and kill an estimated 69 people who were part of a violent demonstration against pass laws arranged by the Pan-Africanist Congress in Sharpeville.^[1]
• 22 – Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd tells Parliament that the Anti-Pass Resistance in Sharpeville, Gauteng was not targeted against the government.
• 23 – Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, leader of the Pan Africanist Congress who led the Sharpeville demonstration, Albert Lutuli and 11 others are arrested for incitement of riots.
• 24 – All public meetings of more than 12 people are banned.
• 30 – The government declares a State of Emergency.

April

• 8 – The government bans the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress with the coming into effect of the Unlawful Organisations Act.^[1]
• 9 – David Pratt shoots and wounds Hendrik Verwoerd, the Prime Minister of South Africa, while he opens the Rand Easter Show at Milner Park, Johannesburg.
• 19 – The South-West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) is founded in Windhoek, South West Africa, to oppose South African rule.

May

• 4 – Robert Sobukwe, President of the Pan Africanist Congress, is sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for incitement of black Africans to urge the repeal of pass laws.

October

• 5 – The white population votes in a referendum to sever South Africa's last links with the British monarchy and become a republic.

Births

• 16 July – PJ Powers, musician, is born in Durban.
• 24 August – Geraldine Joslyn Fraser-Moleketi, politician.
• 16 October – Mark Mathabane, author and tennis player, is born in Johannesburg.

References