The Northern Cape Provincial Government has honoured the 1952 struggle icons who contributed towards the freedom and liberation of the country. This was done during the 63rd anniversary commemoration of the 1952 Mayibuye Uprisings which took place at the Mayibuye Precinct at Galeshewe on Saturday, 07 November 2015. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has held a memorial lecture in honour of the fallen heroes and heroines. The lecture was delivered by Galeshewe’s former student leader and a current outstanding community activist Chris Matlhaku. The ceremony was marked under a theme “empowering the next generation of the struggle.” 

The Department had celebrated the day together with the victim’s family members.

 The Mayibuye uprisings that took place on Saturday, 8 November 1952 at Number Two Location Galeshewe did not occur in isolation. It came as a result of the 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.