On this day in 1966, anti-apartheid activist Dimitri Tsafendas stabbed Prime Minister Verwoerd four times on the Parliament floor. The government declared him not guilty by reason of insanity and imprisoned him for life on these grounds.

In July 1966, at the age of forty-eight, anti-apartheid activist Dimitri Tsafendas (1918 - 1999) obtained a temporary position as a parliamentary messenger in the House of Assembly in Cape Town.

When Tsafendas first decided to take action against Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd (1901 - 1966), he planned to only kidnap him. His fellow activists did not want to do anything risky, however, so Tsafendas decided to kill Verwoerd instead, viewing him as the "brains" behind the policy of apartheid.

On September 6th, 1966, Tsafendas approached Prime Minister Verwoerd as he was approaching his seat in Parliament, drew a concealed sheath knife from his belt, and stabbed him about four times in the torso before he was pulled away by other members of parliament.

Tsafendas was taken into police custody, where he was severely beaten, and then moved to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries and interviewed by a psychiatrist. Throughout his time in custody, Tsafendas was subjected to severe torture from beatings, electric shocks, mock hangings, and pretended defenestrations.

At his trial, he was declared not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. His political motivations were concealed from the proceedings. The court ordered for him to be detained "at the pleasure of the State President", which meant that only the State President (later President) had the authority to order his release.

He was never discharged and tortured in custody, dying at the age of eighty-one while still in prison. Less than ten people attended his funeral.