Keltria
01-06-2005, 11:30 AM
The last execution in South Africa occurred on the 14th November 1989, and thereafter the State issued a moratorium on executions. In 1995 the Constitutional Court handed down its first judgement, the Mankwanyane decision, which abolished the death penalty as a form of punishment in South Africa. It was further ordered that the State and all its organs were forbidden from executing any person already sentenced to death.
Official records indicate that there were 430 people who had been under the sentence of death at the time of the Makwanyane judgement. As a result of that judgement legislation was passed for the procedure to be followed in setting aside the death sentences and the substitution of those sentences with appropriate sentences.
As of the 5th of October 2002, according to the Legal Aid Board, approximately 230 people still reflected the death penalty as their sentence.
In South Africa, under the 1977 Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), the death penalty may be imposed for "(a) murder; (b) treason committed when the Republic is in a state of war; (c) robbery or attempted robbery, if the court finds aggravating circumstances to be present; (d) kidnapping; (e) child stealing; [and] (f) rape." Additionally, the 1982 Internal Security Act (ISA) provides that the penalties for terrorism shall be those "provided for by law for the offence of treason." Seems stupid doesnt it - for people to kill people for robbery, but it happened.
Vast numbers of people were imprisoned during the Apartheid era. It was during those years, that torture became normative. It became a principle weapon used by the Apartheid regime against people, particularly against black children during that period. It was also a period where there were a vast number of people on death row in South Africa. Every Thursday, up to seven people at a time were executed.
In my opinion that was mass murder. This whole Execution thing just makes me so sad. South Africa has a lot of innocent blood on it's hands, and it's so sad, really just so sad.
But thankfully we abolished that and brought an end to the madness, and hopefully we can move on, and never forget our bloody past. Let it be a lesson to all those who wish the death penalty back. I dont need revenge, i need rehabilitation, and mostly understanding.
Official records indicate that there were 430 people who had been under the sentence of death at the time of the Makwanyane judgement. As a result of that judgement legislation was passed for the procedure to be followed in setting aside the death sentences and the substitution of those sentences with appropriate sentences.
As of the 5th of October 2002, according to the Legal Aid Board, approximately 230 people still reflected the death penalty as their sentence.
In South Africa, under the 1977 Criminal Procedure Act (CPA), the death penalty may be imposed for "(a) murder; (b) treason committed when the Republic is in a state of war; (c) robbery or attempted robbery, if the court finds aggravating circumstances to be present; (d) kidnapping; (e) child stealing; [and] (f) rape." Additionally, the 1982 Internal Security Act (ISA) provides that the penalties for terrorism shall be those "provided for by law for the offence of treason." Seems stupid doesnt it - for people to kill people for robbery, but it happened.
Vast numbers of people were imprisoned during the Apartheid era. It was during those years, that torture became normative. It became a principle weapon used by the Apartheid regime against people, particularly against black children during that period. It was also a period where there were a vast number of people on death row in South Africa. Every Thursday, up to seven people at a time were executed.
In my opinion that was mass murder. This whole Execution thing just makes me so sad. South Africa has a lot of innocent blood on it's hands, and it's so sad, really just so sad.
But thankfully we abolished that and brought an end to the madness, and hopefully we can move on, and never forget our bloody past. Let it be a lesson to all those who wish the death penalty back. I dont need revenge, i need rehabilitation, and mostly understanding.