List of massacres in South Africa


The following is a list of massacres that have occurred in South Africa :
NameDateLocationCasualtiesNotes
The Mfecane / Difaqane1818–1828Highveld and Natal south of the Tugela1 million – 2.5 million bantu or black peopleThe mfecane / difaqane was ordered by Shaka, a Zulu chieftain.
The Janse van Rensburg Trek massacre1836Inhambane 49 VoortrekkersThe massacre was ordered by Manukosi, a chieftain. Johannes Jacobus Janse van Rensburg, leader of one of the early Voortrekker treks and his entire trek, except two children saved by a Zulu warrior, were massacred by an impi of Manukosi. Included in the party was Nicholaas Balthasar Prinsloo, who was a Slagtersnek rebel, his wife, Petronella Maria Krugel/Kruger and their family.1
Piet Retief Delegation massacre1838-02-06Hloma mabuto, uMgungundlovu, Natal also known as kwaMatiwane Hill100 Boers and servantsThe massacre was ordered by Dingane, a Zulu chieftain. The place, at kwaMatiwane Hill, was a site where Dingane had thousands of other enemies executed. Voortrekker leader Piet Retief was killed last. The treaty handing over a tract of land to the Voortrekkers signed between Dingane and Piet Retief two days before the massacre was later found on Retief's remains. A copy of the original still exists. The treaty led to the establishment of the Natalia Republic in 1838 which stretched from the Tugela River to present day Port St. Johns.
Weenen massacre1838-02-17Doringkop, Bloukrans River, Moordspruit, Rensburgspruit and other sites around present day Weenen, KwaZulu-Natal532 Amongst those killed were Joachim Johannes Prinsloo, b3c3d6e1, ≈ 30/3/1783 and his wife Martha Louisa Prinsloo, b3c3d4e5. The Piet Retief Massacre and the Weenen Massacre was the motivation for the Voortrekkers to confront the Zulus in battle on 16 December 1838 when 470 Voortrekkers fought against an estimated 15,000 to 21,000 Zulus; which the Voortrekkers won. The battle is known as the Battle of Blood River.
Derdepoort massacre1899-11-25Derdepoort, North-West, Transvaal2 Boer woman were killed, and 17 woman and children taken captiveOn 25 November 1899 some of the Bechuanaland Kgatla, under Lentshwe and in alliance with the British under Colonel G. L. Holdsworth, attacked a Boer laager on the Bechuanaland border of the Transvaal. Two women were killed, and 17 woman and children taken captive.
Leliefontein massacre1902-01-31Northern Cape, South Africa3535 Khoikhoi executed by Boer forces under Manie Maritz as reprisal for an attack on his troops by pro-British locals.
Bulhoek massacre1921-05-24Ntabelanga, Queenstown, Eastern Cape163Enoch Mgijima led the gathering to defend their land against a Union of South Africa police force led by Colonel Johan Davey and General Koos van der Venter.
Rand Rebellion1922-03-08 to
1922-03-18		Johannesburg, Transvaal153The rebellion started as a strike by white mineworkers on 28 December 1921 and shortly thereafter, it became an open rebellion against the state. Subsequently the workers, who had armed themselves, took over the cities of Benoni and Brakpan, and the Johannesburg suburbs of Fordsburg and Jeppe. Several communists and syndicalists, the latter including the strike leaders Percy Fisher and Harry Spendiff, were killed as the rebellion was quelled by state forces. The rebellion was eventually crushed by "considerable military firepower and at the cost of over 200 lives".
Durban Riot1949-01-13 to
1949-01-14		Durban142The Durban riot was an anti-Indian riot predominantly by Zulus targeting Indians in Durban, South Africa in January 1949. The riot resulted in the massacre of mostly poor Indians. In total 142 people died in the riot and another 1,087 people were injured. It also led to the destruction of 58 shops, 247 dwellings and one factory.
Mayibuye Uprising1952-11-08Galeshewe, Kimberley1378 wounded. The Mayibuye Uprising was a sequence of protests and demonstrations, led by the ANC, South African Indian Congress and the African People's Organisation that took place around No.2 Location Galeshewe, in Kimberley, on 7–8 November 1952.
Sharpeville massacre1960-03-21Sharpeville69180 wounded
Soweto uprising1976-06-16Soweto176
Church Street bombing1983-05-20Outside Nedbank Plein, Church Street West, Pretoria, Transvaal at 16:2819217 wounded. The attack was carried out by a special task force of the ANC's Umkhonto we Sizwe led by Aboobaker Ismail. These units were approved by Oliver Tambo, ANC president, in 1979. At the time of the attack they reported to Joe Slovo, head of personnel. Tambo approved and gave permission for the operation.
Durban car bomb1984-04-03Durban. Close to the offices of the South African Indian Council.527 wounded.
Landmines planted on farm roads1985 to 1987On farm roads across South Africa.23–25At least 150 landmines were planted by Umkhonto we Sizwe.
Trojan Horse Incident1985-10-15Belgravia Road, Athlone, Cape Town3 killed
Langa massacre1985-03-21Uitenhage, Eastern Cape35 killedThe South African Police shot at a crowd of funeral-goers stopped by them on Maduna Road in Uitenhage, on the anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre. The first shot was at a 15-year-old boy on a bicycle who joined the crowd from a side street and lifted his hand in a Black Power salute
Queenstown Massacre1985-11-17Queenstown, Eastern Cape14 killed22 wounded.
Amanzimtoti bombing1985-12-23Amanzimtoti5 civilians, including 3 childrenForty were injured when MK cadre Andrew Sibusiso Zondo detonated an explosive in a rubbish bin at a shopping centre. In a submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the ANC stated that Zondo's act, though "understandable" as a response to a recent South African Defence Force raid in Lesotho, was not in line with ANC policy. Zondo was subsequently executed.
Magoo's Bar bomb. Durban beach-front bombing1986-06-14Durban3 killed69 wounded. An uMkhonto we Sizwe cell, led by Robert McBride, planted a bomb in a car outside the popular "Why Not Magoo's Bar", with the belief that the place was frequented by security branch police.
Johannesburg Magistrate's Court bombing1987-05-20Johannesburg, Transvaal3 killed, 4 injuredLimpet mine attack, then car bomb attack half an hour later.
Strijdom Square massacre1988-11-5Pretoria, Transvaal8 killed, 16 injuredBarend Strydom, acting alone, went on a shooting spree in the Pretoria city center. He specifically targeted black persons. He was disarmed by a black member of the public whilst reloading.
Bisho massacre1992-09-07Bisho, Ciskei29Twenty-eight African National Congress supporters and one soldier were shot dead by the Ciskei Defence Force during a protest march when they attempted to enter Bisho to demand the reincorporation of Ciskei into South Africa during the final years of apartheid.
Boipatong massacre1992-06-17Boipatong45The attack on township residents was carried out by armed men from the steelworks residence KwaMadala Hostel, which was located roughly 1 km from the township. Forty-five people died and several other people were maimed. The attackers were supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party, a rival party of the African National Congress.
Saint James Church massacre1993-07-25Kenilworth, Cape Town11The Saint James Church massacre was a massacre that was perpetrated by four terrorists of the Azanian People's Liberation Army. Eleven members of the congregation were killed and an additional 58 members were wounded.
Heidelberg Tavern massacre1993-12-30Observatory, Cape Town4During the years of apartheid, Observatory was one of the few de facto 'grey' suburbs where all races lived together. On the evening of 30 December 1993, three men entered a popular student venue on Station Road, called the Heidelberg Tavern and opened fire, killing four people and injuring five. The three APLA operatives—Humphrey Luyanda Gqomfa, Vuyisile Brian Madasi and Zola Prince Mabala—were convicted in November 1994 for what became known as the Heidelberg Massacre.
Shell House massacre1994-03-28Johannesburg19–53ANC security guards opened fire, killing nineteen people. Twenty thousand Inkatha Freedom Party supporters marched to Shell House in protest against the 1994 elections that the IFP was intending to boycott.
Bree Street taxi rank bombing1994-04-24Johannesburg21 killed. over 100 injuredA car bomb was placed at a busy public transport hub in the Johannesburg city centre by members of the AWB
Sizzlers massacre2003-01-20Sea Point, Cape Town9, 1 injuredThe victims were murdered at a gay massage parlour on Graham Road by Adam Roy Woest and Trevor Basil Theys.
Marikana massacre2012-08-16Lonmin Mine, Marikana34-47The Marikana massacre was the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since 1960. The shootings have been described as a massacre in the South African media and have been compared to the Sharpeville massacre in 1960. Controversy emerged after it was discovered that most of the victims were shot in the back, and many victims were shot far from police lines.
Life Esidimeni deaths2016Gauteng144 to date; 62 still not accounted for. Eight still missing as of 11 March 2020.1,300 patients were relocated to mainly unlicensed NGOs by order of the Gauteng Department of Health.

To date the Mfecane massacre with 1 to 1.5 million bantu killed over a ten-year period by order of Shaka, the Zulu chief, is the massacre with the highest number of fatalities in South Africa.