Answer :
1. The public holiday observed on 21 March is Human Rights Day. It commemorates the Sharpeville massacre in 1960 when protesters were killed by the police during a peaceful demonstration against the pass laws.
2. "Human rights violation" refers to actions that infringe upon the basic rights and freedoms entitled to all individuals. It occurs when someone's fundamental human rights are denied or compromised, such as freedom of speech, right to life, or equality before the law.
3. Two laws that protect citizens against human rights violations are:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations in 1948, which outlines the basic rights and freedoms that should be protected for all individuals.
- The Human Rights Act of 1998 in the UK, which incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, providing a legal framework to safeguard human rights.
4. The human right that was violated during the Sharpeville massacre was the right to life and the right to peaceful assembly. The protesters' right to life was violated when they were shot and killed by the police, and their right to peaceful assembly was violated as they were peacefully demonstrating against unjust laws but were met with violence instead.
