In honor of those that were brutally killed during the Bhisho Massacre, the Eastern Cape
Provincial Government led by Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane remembered the victims
of the historical genocide when it commemorated the 31st anniversary in Bhisho recently.
On that fateful day, scores of people participated in a peaceful demonstration to demand
basic rights denied to them by the then Ciskei regime.
These patriots were determined to claim their right to free political activity, and to demand an
end to state violence and repression.
They marched in the hope of a better tomorrow for all, and in pursuit of an alternative to the
apartheid system and all its manifestations.
It was when demonstrators tried to cross the Ciskei Defence Force lines to Bhisho when
soldiers fired with live bullets into the crowd, using machine guns and rifle grenades.
Sadly, the bloodshed resulted in the death of 28 people and one soldier, with over 200
activists injured on the day.
Since 2002, the Provincial Government has always been consistent in ensuring that the
province commemorates the event to ensure memory is not lost for future generations.
The Provincial Government has also constructed a R60million living memorial
called the Bhisho Massacre Contact Centre in honor of the victims.
The EC Government continues to provide support to the survivors and the families of those
that lost their lives through the implementation of legacy projects, including linking survivors
to bursary opportunities, job opportunities, economic opportunities and provide houses to
qualifying families.
Government commemorated the event in three-pronged programme that commenced
with wreath laying at Ginsberg and Bhisho Massacre Burial sites, followed by the main event.
