When residents of the African townships of the Vaal Triangle awoke on the morning of 3 September 1984, they found that the unthinkable had become thinkable: a revolt was unfolding that would alter the course of history and catapult the region into the forefront of the struggle for freedom. In some areas, the sound of gunshots punctuated the air, shouts and singing were heard and the air was thick with smoke and teargas. Youth had been confronting police in street battles all night. Rocks and burning tyres had been pushed into the road to ensure no one would go to work or school. A few days prior, a meeting of residents, organised by the Vaal Civic Association (VCA), had resolved that on 3 September all workers would stay away from work and students from school. Businesses belonging to councillors would be boycotted and residents would march to the offices of the Orange Vaal Development Board (OVDB) to demand the resignation of all African councillors and the scrapping of a recent rent increase of R5.90 per month.

The turnout exceeded the expectations of the organisers. Around 8am, thousands of young and old, women and men, started gathering at various meeting points to march to the offices of the OVDB. The mood of the crowd was angry, but participants recalled an excitement that finally something was going to happen: grievances would be made public and dealt with. They were addressed by leaders of the VCA, who reminded them that the march was meant to be peaceful. An hour later, the marchers set off, singing Siyaya, siyaya ePitoli (we are going to Pretoria). Fists were clenched and youth were jogging in front of the march. Some of the marchers were holding placards inscribed asinamali (we have no money).

State response was as swift as it was brutal. Riot police were out in full force and less than an hour after marchers had left their main gathering point at the Roman Catholic Church in Evaton Small Farms, they were stopped by a contingent of heavily armed riot police in neighbouring Sebokeng township. According to eyewitnesses, police began to shoot without warning. By then, the commander of the riot police, Colonel Viljoen, had already given orders to shoot with live ammunition. All hell broke loose.