In 1983, Moloise was arrested for the 1982 murder of Phillipus Selepe, a black security policeman who assisted in capturing three African National Congress (ANC) members.

Moloise's death sentence sparked national and international outrage and was seen as emblematic of South Africa's brutal crackdown on anti-apartheid activists.

[3] On 7 November 1982, Warrant Officer Phillipus Selepe, a black security policeman who had been instrumental in capturing three African National Congress (ANC) members, was fatally ambushed at his home in Mamelodi.

[2] During the apartheid era, black police officers thought to be cooperating with the South African government faced significant risks, becoming frequent targets for the ANC.

[7] The South African government, while readily tapping into the talents and expertise of black citizens, often hesitated to ensure their protection, especially when such measures seemed at odds with the deeply entrenched apartheid principles.

[7] This change in tactics stemmed from the ANC's growing frustration with the loss of their members to South African law enforcement, leading to them announcing: "No longer will they do all the killing, while we do all the suffering.

Jana further added that Moloise was pressed to enter an official plea on the murder charge before consulting his legal team and required to outline his defence strategy without their direction.

[9] There was an evident tension between the African nations' urgency to highlight Moloise's looming execution, viewing it as an extension of South Africa's apartheid policies, and the Western preference to maintain a lower profile on the subject.

Western representatives also worried that excessive diplomatic attention might provoke South African authorities, potentially increasing the chances of Moloise's execution.

[9] On 20 August 1985, the Transvaal Supreme Court in Pretoria granted Moloise a three-week stay of execution, a decision seemingly influenced by significant diplomatic pressures on the government.

However, following the United States' diplomatic engagements with South African officials, defence attorneys were advised to promptly request an execution delay.

[8] Moloise's mother, Pauline, appealed to the international community, particularly the U.S. and Britain, urging them to press the South African government to spare her son's life.

She maintained his innocence, pointing to statements from the ANC's Zambia headquarters, which denied he was part of their hit squad that murdered the security policeman.

[12] Despite Jana's assurances of the vigil's peaceful nature, the military remained unyielding, illuminating the vicinity with bright searchlights and declaring the assembly unlawful through loudspeakers.

Earlier, Pauline, after her final meeting with her son, conveyed his message: the belief that South Africa will one day be governed by its black population, and that those sacrificing their lives are doing so for freedom.

[12] Pauline also stated that Moloise would walk to the gallows singing a song honoring the African National Congress and its exiled leader, Oliver Tambo.

Moloise's parents sang the ANC anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, in the parking lot and displayed a black power salute.

[13] The prison authorities declined to hand over Moloise's body to his family, instead opting for a burial in a government cemetery, with Pauline instructed to return later to receive the grave's location.

[3] Approximately six hours following Moloise's execution, around 500 mourners gathered at the South African Council of Churches' headquarters in downtown Johannesburg for a memorial service.

White House Press Secretary Larry Speakes stated, "We want to see tensions reduced and confidence restored in South Africa", expressing regret that an action that could "exacerbate this situation" took place.

The Soviet Union's state-run news agency, TASS, declared, "South African authorities have again demonstrated to the whole world that they will resort to any crime in order to prolong the racist domination.

The ministers from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden jointly stated that the execution disregarded humanitarian concerns and would escalate political tension.

[17] In Brussels, the European Community's External Affairs Commissioner, Willy De Clercq, expressed that Pretoria missed a chance for dialogue.

[18] In France, Prime Minister Laurent Fabius expressed his protest against the execution by observing a minute of silence in front of the South African Embassy in Paris.

The video also shows Pauline and other mourners singing the Southern African liberation anthem "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", reflecting the intense grief and emotional atmosphere of the apartheid era.

[20] In Desmond Egan's poem "For Benjamin Moloise," he contrasts the vocal grief of South African mourners to the silent mourning of the global community.