Bisho massacre

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Memorial to the Bisho Massacre

The Bisho massacre was a massacre that took place on September 7, 1992 in Bisho, now Bhisho , in what was then the homeland of Ciskei . 29 people, including 28 supporters of the African National Congress (ANC), were shot dead. The massacre indirectly resulted in the resumption of the negotiation process on an end to apartheid .

history

From 1990 the ANC had held talks with the South African government about an end to apartheid and the reintegration of the nominally independent homelands into the Republic of South Africa . In particular, the president of the Ciskei, Oupa Gqozo , refused to give up his position and ruled in a state of emergency . After the Boipatong massacre near Vanderbijlpark on June 17, 1992 , in which 46 people were killed, negotiations came to a standstill; the ANC accused the government of President Frederik Willem de Klerk of fueling tension. On September 3, 1992, the ANC sent a memorandum to de Klerk, in which he called for the removal of Gqozo and the creation of an interim government that would enable democratic change. De Klerk refused, however, as the Ciskei was considered independent. As a result, the ANC organized a protest march on the capital of the Ciskei, Bisho, to force Gqozo's deposition. Gqozo tried to prevent the march in court; the court only allowed a demonstration at Independence Stadium outside of Bishop.

On September 7, 1992, around 70,000 to 80,000 ANC supporters demonstrated on the outskirts, including politicians Chris Hani , Cyril Ramaphosa , Steve Tshwete and Ronnie Kasrils , of whom Hani and Kasrils were members of the South African Communist Party . Soldiers from the Ciskei Defense Force had cordoned off the roads into the city. However, a group of demonstrators under Kasrils tried to break through the army's barriers. The soldiers then shot into the crowd with automatic rifles. 28 demonstrators and one member of the army were shot and more than 200 demonstrators were injured. The shots lasted a minute and a half and - after an interruption - a minute. The order to shoot came from Colonel Vakele Archibald Mkosana.

aftermath

Most of the killed protesters were on the then new cemetery during a major public event on September 18, Township Ginsberg of King William's Town buried together. This burial place was later renamed and given the name Steve Biko Garden of Rememberance .

The Goldstone Commission , established in 1991 to investigate illegal government activity, was tasked with investigating the massacre. The chairman, Richard Goldstone , condemned Gqozo for his refusal to allow political activity in the Ciskei and for the brutality of his troops. The investigation showed that the killed soldier had been shot by his own people. The commission proposed tough measures against Gqozo, but also condemned Kasrils for his reckless behavior.

After a few weeks, the massacre led to new negotiations between the government and the ANC. Nelson Mandela met de Klerk on September 26, 1992, where the formation of an independent body to control the South African police was contractually agreed, whereupon their cooperation with the Zulu movement Inkatha was terminated and Inkatha terminated its informal alliance with the National Party de Klerks. Gqozo remained in power but resigned shortly before the 1994 election, which the ANC won. A granite memorial was erected at the site of the massacre . It was unveiled in 1997 by then Archbishop Desmond Tutu .

Further work-up

Two people involved in the massacre asked the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which met from 1997, for amnesty , Colonel Mkosana and the soldier Mzamile Thomas Gonya, who was the only one who shot the demonstrators with a grenade launcher . Gqozo was called to witness but was admitted to hospital before the trial. In 2000, both were denied amnesty because their actions were overly ruthless and not politically motivated. After they were due to simple murder Mkosana also because 28-fold, involuntary manslaughter ( culpable homicide accused). They were acquitted because their actions were seen as self-defense .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Allister Sparks: Tomorrow is Another Country. Struik, Johannesburg 1994.
  2. ^ A b Nelson Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom . Little, Brown and Company, New York 2008, ISBN 978-0-31603478-4 , p. 831.
  3. ↑ a b History of the massacre at buffalocity.gov.za ( memento from March 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English), accessed on November 12, 2013
  4. ^ The Bisho Massacre at sahistory.org.za , accessed November 13, 2013
  5. ^ Mass funeral for the victims of Bisho massacre . Report of the public burial at www.sahistory.org.za , accessed November 13, 2013
  6. ↑ Brief description of the memorial site at www.sa-venues.com (English), accessed on November 13, 2013
  7. ^ Research results of the Goldstone Commission at sahistory.org.za ( Memento from September 19, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
  8. ↑ TRC 2000 report , accessed on November 12, 2013