Victims of 1960 Sharpeville Massacre Sue South African Government for Compensation
2 sources across 2 countries · Qatar · United Kingdom · 1 of them is linked to a state
Who reported this
- Al Jazeera
- The Guardian
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every outlet covering this story shares the same political lean; read with that in mind.
Three claimants have filed a lawsuit against the South African government seeking compensation for the 1960 Sharpeville massacre. The legal action follows a peaceful protest on March 21, 1960, where residents gathered outside a police station to protest pass laws. Police opened fire on the crowd, resulting in at least 91 deaths and 238 injuries.
The claimants, which include survivors and children of victims, are seeking approximately 500,000 rand. Their legal team, led by the NGO Lawyers For Human Rights and advised by the UK firm Leigh Day, argues that a 1961 law is unconstitutional. That law was passed by the white minority regime to indemnify the government and its agents from compensation claims related to the suppression of internal disorder.
This case is part of a broader trend of litigation regarding apartheid era crimes. In January 2025, other survivors and relatives sued the government for failing to prosecute cases referred by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. President Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently announced a judicial inquiry into potential political interference. The South African justice department did not respond to requests for comment on the Sharpeville case.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Outlets of this lean framed the lawsuit as part of a wider struggle for justice and a reflection of ongoing disillusionment with the failure to rectify racial inequality.
Sources
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