Cator Manor shebeen

Date: 24 January, 1960

On 24 January 1960, nine policemen were killed by an angry mob at Cato Manor in Durban. The incident happened after a routine raid by police searching for illicit liquor. They were stoned and hacked to death. The police attempted to escape after they were ambushed, but were overwhelmed by the mob. Among those killed were four White policemen and five Blacks.

This is believed to be the highest number of police killed in a single incident. An emergency meeting was held in the House of Assembly where the Minister of Justice, Mr. Erasmus refused to appoint a judicial commission of inquiry into the rioting. The incident happened a few weeks before the Sharpeville massacre, where 69 people were killed and scores left injured.

References

• The Cape Times, (1960), ‘Nine police massacred at Durban’, 25 January, [Available at the South African National Library, Cape Town Campus] pg 1.
• Electric Jive, ‘The Drive-Zone 6 (1976)’, [online], available at electricjive.blogspot.com [Accessed 14 January 2011]