This issue reports the mass banning of Black Consciousness organisations and individuals on 19 October 1977, including the SASO, BPC, and Soweto Students’ Representative Council. It details arrests, detentions, and police violence during student uprisings and protests, particularly in Soweto, Eastern Cape, and universities. Coverage includes Steve Biko’s death in detention, memorial actions, and international solidarity. Rhodesian repression, Namibian occupation, and emergency powers in Bophuthatswana and Ciskei are also covered. Political trials, such as the Pretoria Twelve and Springs Six, and inquests into deaths in detention are documented.

This issue details escalating political repression across Southern Africa. It includes the Soweto uprising, Rhodesia’s curfews, civilian deaths, forced removals, summary justice via emergency courts, ANC surveillance, and SWAPO trials and executions. Also covers censorship, political detentions, and the enforcement of the Afrikaans language in schools. Notable legal developments and testimonies about torture and irregular trials are presented.

This article documents the secrecy surrounding executions in South Africa during late 1988, highlighting the lack of official information prior to executions and the reliance on newspaper reports by monitoring groups. It details the execution of eight men (with one granted a stay), discrepancies in official statistics on political death sentences, and the case of George Skosana. The article also covers several trials resulting in death sentences and lengthy prison terms for individuals involved in political unrest, including the Tumahole and PUTCO cases. The text references specific individuals, events, and sources, illustrating the broader context of political repression and the use of the death penalty.

This issue of FOCUS covers political trials and changes to the death penalty in South Africa, including the enactment of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, notable cases involving political prisoners, and judicial reforms. It details ongoing and recent trials of anti-apartheid activists, mass arrests, police and vigilante actions, and the evolving legal context for political offences. The issue also discusses the processes for pardon and indemnity for political prisoners and exiles, referencing key agreements between the ANC and the South African government. Includes reports on protests, police violence, and the legal status of detainees, as well as organizational information about IDAF and its international affiliates.

This issue of FOCUS documents government plans and actions regarding the forced incorporation of various areas (Moutse, Botshabelo, Peelton, Leeuwfontein, Braklaagte) into South African bantustans during 1988-1989. It details community resistance, legal challenges, forced removals, police and vigilante violence, states of emergency, and the response of civil society organizations. The report includes references to contemporary press coverage and provides context on the humanitarian and political implications of these events.

This issue of Focus (no. 92) covers political trials, detentions, and the struggle for the reincorporation of the Bophuthatswana bantustan in South Africa during late 1990 and early 1991. It documents ongoing legal repression, mass detentions, bail applications, prison sentences, and mass action against apartheid-era authorities. The issue includes case studies, named individuals, and references to legal and political developments, as well as coverage of campaigns for the release of political prisoners and the activities of anti-apartheid organizations.

This issue of 'Focus' documents the forced removals of black South Africans from designated 'black spots' and rural communities, including KwaNgema and Huhudi, during 1984-1985. It details government policies, legal challenges, and community resistance to removals to bantustans such as KaNgwane, KwaZulu, and Bophuthatswana. The publication also provides statistics from the Surplus People Project and references to media coverage. It outlines the objectives and international affiliations of IDAF, and includes a catalogue of IDAF publications.

This supplement to FOCUS No. 87 provides an analysis of the steps taken and obstacles remaining in the process of negotiating an end to apartheid in South Africa as of early 1990. It details the partial reforms initiated by the apartheid regime, including the unbanning of political organisations, the release of some political prisoners, and the lifting of certain emergency regulations. The supplement critically examines the limitations of these reforms, the continued existence of repressive legislation, the ongoing state of emergency, and the regime's retention of significant powers of repression. It also covers the responses of the African National Congress (ANC) and the international community, and outlines the requirements of the Harare Declaration for genuine negotiations.