While the South African state intensified executions, the international community responded with legislative pressure.
During apartheid, the death penalty was not merely a criminal punishment but a tool for political intimidation.
: Following the assassination of the "Cradock Four" and rising unrest, President P.W. Botha declared a national State of Emergency in 1986, granting security forces nearly unlimited power.
: Between 1960 and 1989, approximately 134 political prisoners were executed by the apartheid government.
3. International Response: The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (1986)
The year 1986 saw a dramatic escalation in resistance and state response.
: In response to the spike in sentences, the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) and Southern Africa the Imprisoned Society (SATIS) launched major international campaigns to stop the hangings.
