The Anglican Church joined the growing confrontation between church and state, when the Archbishop of Cape Town, Rev. William Barnett issued a statement condemning Apartheid as morally indefensible. He expressed particular concern over deaths in detention and the imprisonment and interrogation of people 'until they die'. Between 27 October, 1971 and 30 January, 1990, seven people died while being held indefinitely under Apartheid's detention laws. An eighth man died in hospital a week after being interrogated by the security branch on the infamous tenth floor of John Vorster Square police station.
eventREF E-0094858Revised
17 February 1979
Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid
- Updated
- 30 Sep 2019
How we know this
- 01SAHO, ‘Stephen Bantu Biko’, from South African History Online, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 10 January 2013]
- 02O’Malley, P. ‘1981’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialog, [online], Available at www.nelsonmandela.org.za [Accessed: 08 January]
- 03Kalley, J.A. and Schoeman, E. ‘Southern African Political History’, (Greenwood Press) pg 423
- 04SAHA, ‘Death in Detention’, from South African History Archive, [online], Available at www.saha.org.za [Accessed: 10 January 2013]
Last updated · 30 Sep 2019
South African History Online. (2013, February 14). Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid . South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094858
South African History Online (2013) 'Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid ', South African History Online, 14 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094858 (Accessed: 9 November 2026).
South African History Online, Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094858, (accessed 9 November 2026).
"Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid ." South African History Online, 14 Feb. 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094858. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.
South African History Online. "Archbishop William Barnett issues a statement condemning Apartheid ." South African History Online. February 14, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0094858.
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