NCJ Number
75472
Journal
Race and Class Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: (Spring 1978) Pages: 404-416
Date Published
1978
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Punishment in South Africa is generally race conscious, and the pattern of executions may be viewed as an extension of the attitude that black offenders deserve harsher treatment for their offenses than whites.
Abstract
In South Africa, race and racism are a fixed, integral, and often decisive aspect of the process of capital punishment. The death penalty is used almost exclusively against blacks and is applied in a discretionary manner. In analyzing the racial aspects of capital punishment for common law offenses such as murder and rape, one may begin with the social forces that produce a high rate of capital crimes. South Africa has one-tenth the population of the United States but 40 percent the number of murders. The high level of violence among South African blacks is no doubt a function of poor economic conditions, aggravated by the Government's apartheid policy. The pass laws place enormous stress on black workers and their families and create constant friction between blacks and the authorities. The result is diminished respect for all the Government's laws. Moreover, there is a connection between racial attitudes and the treatment of offenders convicted of capital crimes. For example, between 1947 and 1969, 288 whites were convicted of rape of non whites, and 844 blacks were convicted of rape of whites. Not a single white person was executed, but of the convicted blacks, 121 were sentenced to death, and 108 executed. As to murder, in 1974-75 blacks received 132 of the 136 death sentences imposed. Finally, there is an extremely high incidence of deaths among black political and nonpolitical prisoners. A total of 46 references are provided.