Notable massacres committed by European settlers in South Africa against Africans across different periods, from early colonial times to the end of apartheid.
Description
Some notable massacres committed by European settlers and authorities in South Africa against the native African population, spanning from early colonial history through to the end of apartheid.
The incidents include conflicts, violent suppression of uprisings, and state-sanctioned violence.
Early Colonial Era and Settler Conflicts
Battle of Salt River (1510)
Date: 1 March 1510
Location: Cape of Good Hope
Casualties: 64 Portuguese sailors
Details: Indigenous Khoikhoi defeated a group of Portuguese led by Francisco de Almeida, marking one of the first recorded conflicts between Europeans and native Africans.
First Frontier War (1779–1781)
Date: 1779–1781
Location: Eastern Cape
Details: Conflict between Dutch settlers and Xhosa people over land disputes in the Zuurveld region. Many Khoikhoi were displaced and enslaved, and the Xhosa faced brutal retribution.
Second Frontier War (1793)
Date: 1793
Location: Eastern Cape
Details: Continued conflict over land between Dutch settlers and the Xhosa, leading to violent skirmishes, large-scale destruction of villages, and loss of life on both sides.
Third Frontier War (1799–1803)
Date: 1799–1803
Location: Eastern Cape
Details: Conflict escalated as the Xhosa resisted European encroachment, and British forces joined Dutch settlers. The war led to mass displacement and destruction of Xhosa villages.
19th Century Settler Conflicts and Colonial Oppression
Slachter's Nek Rebellion Massacre (1815)
Date: 9 March 1815
Location: Slachter's Nek, Eastern Cape
Details: The British hanged five Boer rebels, sparking anger among Dutch settlers. Though not a massacre of Africans, this event contributed to growing tensions between settlers and colonial authorities.
Sixth Frontier War (1834–1836)
Date: 1834–1836
Location: Eastern Cape
Details: Xhosa forces retaliated against European encroachment, leading to large-scale destruction of Xhosa land by British and Boer forces.
Eighth Frontier War (1850–1853)
Date: 1850–1853
Location: Eastern Cape
Details: The war led to the displacement and destruction of many Xhosa settlements. The colonial government implemented policies that would further marginalize African people.
Bulhoek Massacre (1921)
Date: 24 May 1921
Location: Queenstown, Eastern Cape
Casualties: 163 African religious sect members killed
Details: The South African police massacred members of the Israelites sect, led by Enoch Mgijima, who had gathered on land the government sought to seize.
Bondelswarts Rebellion (1922)
Date: May 1922
Location: South-West Africa (now Namibia)
Casualties: 100+ Nama people killed
Details: The South African government, ruling Namibia under a League of Nations mandate, brutally suppressed a tax protest by the Bondelswarts community, resulting in mass killings.
Apartheid-Era Massacres (1948–1994)
Sharpeville Massacre (1960)
Date: 21 March 1960
Location: Sharpeville, Gauteng
Casualties: 69 black protesters killed, 180 wounded
Details: Police opened fire on unarmed black protesters demonstrating against pass laws, sparking international condemnation.
Langa Massacre (1960)
Date: 21 March 1960
Location: Langa, Western Cape
Casualties: 2 killed, 49 injured
Details: On the same day as Sharpeville, police opened fire on protesters in Langa, a township near Cape Town.
Soweto Uprising (1976)
Date: 16 June 1976
Location: Soweto, Johannesburg
Casualties: Between 176 to over 700+ black protesters killed
Details: A mass protest against the enforcement of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. Police responded with deadly force, and the uprising spread throughout the country.
Matola Raid (1981)
Date: 30 January 1981
Location: Matola, Mozambique
Casualties: 12 South African ANC members killed
Details: South African Defence Forces raided an ANC safe house in Mozambique, killing several South African freedom fighters in exile.
Mthatha Raid (1983)
Date: 1983
Location: Mthatha, Transkei
Casualties: Several ANC members killed
Details: A raid by South African forces targeting anti-apartheid activists, leading to deaths among ANC members.
Cradock Four (1985)
Date: 27 June 1985
Location: Eastern Cape
Casualties: 4 anti-apartheid activists killed
Details: Four prominent anti-apartheid activists—Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkonto, and Sicelo Mhlauli—were abducted and murdered by South African security forces.
Queenstown Massacre (1985)
Date: 17 November 1985
Location: Queenstown, Eastern Cape
Casualties: 11 protesters killed
Details: Police opened fire on a group of peaceful anti-apartheid protesters, resulting in the death of 11 people.
Bisho Massacre (1992)
Date: 7 September 1992
Location: Bisho, Ciskei (Eastern Cape)
Casualties: 28 protesters killed, 200 wounded
Details: Ciskei Defence Force troops, allied to the apartheid regime, opened fire on 80,000 ANC supporters marching to demand the reintegration of Ciskei into South Africa.
These events point to key moments in the long and often brutal history of colonization, settler conflicts, and apartheid violence in South Africa. Many more incidents of violence and massacre occurred during smaller uprisings, protests, and everyday resistance to colonial and apartheid regimes.
#Neveragain
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment