Introduction
Frederick John Harris was the only white person to be hanged for a political offence during apartheid.
Born in 1937, teacher and sportsman John Harris, became actively involved in the Liberal Party of South Africa (LPSA) in 1960 and was soon elected to the National Committee. Soon afterwards he also became involved in the South African Nonracial Olympic Committee (Sanroc). As chairman of Sanroc he travelled to Switzerland in 1963 to testify at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), seeking South Africa's exclusion from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics because of its racially discriminatory sports policies. His passport was seized on his return, and a year later he was served with banning orders under the Suppression of Communism Act.
He joined the African Resistance Movement (ARM), a militant anti-apartheid resistance movement founded by members of the LPSA. From its first operation in September 1963 the ARM continued with the bombing of power lines, railroad tracks, roads, bridges and other vulnerable infrastructure until July 1964 without any civilian casualties.
On 24 July 1964 Harris planted the bomb at the Johannesburg train station, killing Ethel Rhys and injuring 23 people. He was arrested, following the confession by one of his colleagues, John Lloyd. Harris was convicted of murder and hanged on 1 April 1965, aged 27.
