On 30 March 1919 the Transvaal Native Congress launched a campaign against the racist pass laws in South Africa, following a mass meeting of 2000 Africans in Vrededorp. The following day, around 3000 people protested outside the Johannesburg pass office, and left sacks full of their passes in the office. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, police attacked the protesters with batons and arrested hundreds of people. One eyewitness, William Hosken, recounted to The Star newspaper what occurred:
"Police, mounted and on foot, arrived, to be greeted by hearty cheers from the Natives, then some booing, followed by `absolute quiet`. Not a single hostile move was made by the Natives..." "To my astonishment the mounted police suddenly spurred their horses and charged on the crowd`. The police used their staves vigorously, riding over Natives – who included women. Whereupon a civilian began `slashing with a stick at every Native he came near, and finally struck a Native woman a severe blow`. Hosken remonstrated and demanded the man`s name but was ignored. He heard one bystander exclaiming: `Would I had a machine-gun, and I could then do some execution.` As he went along the street he came across more whites intercepting Natives."
The anti-pass campaign lasted three months, during which around 700 Africans were arrested and charged. At this point conservatives within the movement regrouped and shut down the campaign instead adopting a more moderate approach. Subsequently, the laws were not overturned for decades.
Transvaal native congress - WCH | Stories
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