The Northern Cape Provincial Government is set to honour the 1952 struggle icons who contributed towards the freedom and liberation of the country. This will be done during the 65th anniversary commemoration of the 1952 Mayibuye Uprisings which is to be held at the Bantu Batho Hall at Galeshewe on Saturday, 11 November 2017. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will be holding a memorial lecture in honour of the fallen heroes and heroines. The lecture will be delivered by the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Ms. Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba under the theme “The year of O.R Tambo: Remembering the fallen heroes and heroines of Galeshewe Mayibuye Massacre of 1952”.
The Department is extending an invite to the victim’s family members and those who had survived the fateful day to come and commemorate the day with us.
The Mayibuye uprisings took place on Saturday, 8 November 1952 at Number Two Location Galeshewe. It came as a result of culmination of the Defiance Campaign which started in 1952. The Campaign was meant to protest against unjust laws used by the apartheid regime to oppress black people in South Africa.
On Friday, 7 November 1952, protesters led by Dr. Arthur Alias Letele demonstrated against apartheid laws by occupying racially segregated public spaces in Kimberley. They blocked whites-only entrances to the main post office and defiantly sat on whites-only benches at the railway station. Dr. Letele and seven other leaders were arrested and that fuelled further resentment and led to uprisings in Galeshewe Number Two Location where both public and private properties were destroyed.
The protest continued into the second day 8 November 1952, with more arrests. The police station and several other buildings including the crèche were burnt. Police, Municipal and private vehicles were set alight. When the protesters were marching towards town, they were stopped by the police who indiscriminately opened fire on them. Thirteen people were killed and seven injured.
