The Northern Cape Department of Sport, Arts and Culture will commemorate 70th anniversary of the 1952 Mayibuye uprisings by facilitating social dialogue on the memorilization of political activities which unfolded during the fateful 1952. The dialogue which will take place under the theme "The year of unity and renewal: Working towards the memorilization of 1952 Mayibuye uprisings." will be held at Abantu, Batho Hall at Galeshewe township on Tuesday, 08 November 2022. It will be led by the MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Ms. Desery Fienies who will be accompanied by the leadership of Sol Plaatje and Frances Baard Municipalities.
The social dialogue will bring stakeholders together where members of the community will engage each other on various social ills bedeviling the protection and preservation of Mayibuye memorial amongst others.
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. In recent times the area at Number Two Township where the memorial was erected, has been a subject of constant vandalism and theft, hampering government's plans to properly memorilize fateful and historic event.
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Issued by: Communications Unit
Northern Cape Sport, Arts and Culture Department
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