Archbishop in Sharpeville on 50th Anniversary of Shootings

The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, will preach in Sharpeville Sunday, 21 March 2010, on the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville Shootings.

The Archbishop will be leading the 9am Service at St Cyprian’s Church, which stands 500 metres from the 1960 shootings.

In his sermon, Archbishop Makgoba is expected to reflect on what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, who came to ‘bring good news to the poor and liberty to the oppressed’ – whether in the face of the political impoverishment and oppression of the past, or in relation to contemporary economic hardships and crises of service delivery. All those who strive for such ends should receive honour and recognition, regardless of what part of society they come from, since they are most certainly acknowledged in the sight of God.

This will be Dr Makgoba’s first visit to Sharpeville since becoming Archbishop at the beginning of 2008. The Archbishop’s mother and grandmother were from Sharpeville, and the family still own property there.