From the archive, 22 March 1960: Dozens

killed in Sharpeville
Originally published on 22 March 1960
Tuesday 23 March 2010 04.19 AEDT Last modified on Saturday 16 January 2016 01.22
AEDT

Johannesburg, March 21.

"I don't know how many we shot," said Colonel Piernaar, the local police commander at
Sharpeville. "It all started when hordes of natives surrounded the police station. My car was
struck by a stone. If they do these things they must learn their lesson the hard way."
An official at Vereeniging hospital put the casualties at 7pm to-night at 56 dead and 162
injured. More violence broke out to-night, this time at Langa. Shortly after 5 p.m. about six
thousand men and women gathered in a square singing the African national anthem. Police
vans approached.
A great roar echoed across the square as 60 police, carrying Sten guns, riot sticks and
revolvers, left the vehicles and faced the crowd.
Suddenly, the Africans turned about screaming and ran from the police, who waded into
them, striking out with their sticks. As the police advanced, a barrage of stones, sticks, and
bottles rained on them and the crowd from surrounding buildings. The police returned to their
vehicles and were followed slowly by the crowd.
A fresh barrage of stones struck the policemen, some of whom picked them up and hurled
them at the crowd. Africans yelled at the police, "Cowards" and "Kill the white men." At this
stage firing broke out and, after the square cleared, a number of bodies were seen on the
ground.
Streets leading to the square were thick with yelling Africans. Some fired at police from
behind corners and out of windows. Above the roar of the crowd, Sten gun bursts and the
heavier thud of revolver shots were heard.
The first African was shot dead after the police had been stoned. The Africans retaliated,
causing casualties among the police. The police then opened fire with sub-machine-guns,
Sten guns, and rifles, and eye-witnesses said that the front ranks of the crowd fell like
ninepins.
Mangled bodies of men, women, and children lay sprawled on the roadway in the square.
One policeman described the scene as "like a world war battlefield". The police seemed to be
rather shocked themselves at the scene.

The scene of shooting, after it was over, was relatively quiet. But in the background the
wailing and screaming of women could be heard. Hospital wards were crammed with
casualties. Some of the wounded were lying covered with blankets on verandahs of buildings
near the casualty wards.
Dr. Verwoerd, the South African Prime Minister, told the House of Assembly that last night
about two thousand marched through Sharpeville, kicking open the doors of peace-loving
people's homes, intimidating them and taking them on their march.