Chairperson, in this 37th anniversary of Sharpeville/Langa Day, the PAC is disgusted that the political parties gathered here are shy to mention that the PAC spearheaded that campaign on that particular day.
The 21st of March 1960 was a day when the PAC of Azania launched the Anti- Pass Campaign in terms of which African people were to leave their passes at home and surrender themselves for arrest at the nearest police station. The slogan for the campaign was, "No bail, no defence, no fine".
Lest we forget, on that fateful day - 21 March 1960 - Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and the PAC leaders surrendered themselves to the police for refusing to carry passes. Despite that, Sobukwe had written to the Police Commissioner that the campaign was non-violent, Mr Blanch.
The police responded with brutality, killing 68 people in Sharpeville and 28 people in Langa, here in Cape Town. Lest we forget, the spilling of the blood of those innocent sons and daughter of Africa, the Sharpeville/Langa Massacre was a turning point of our liberation struggle in this country. The blood of those sons and daughters of the soil and the blood of many martyrs of our liberation struggle will never be left unnoticed.
During this Human Rights Day, the PAC of Azania is calling for the release of all members of Apla - Azanian People's Liberation Army - political prisoners.
It will be a great act of human rights by the President, hon Thabo Mbeki, and the ANC-led government to release members of Apla and all other freedom fighters incarcerated in the prisons of South Africa. The PAC has been making this call and we are still repeating this call today. Thank you. [Applause.]