21 July 1985–June 1990
State of emergency declared
The Botha government proclaimed a state of emergency, expanding detention, censorship and security-force powers amid township revolt.
established
state-repression
The Botha government proclaimed a state of emergency on 21 July 1985, expanding detention, censorship and security-force powers amid township revolt. A nationwide emergency followed on 12 June 1986 and continued, with renewals, into 1990.
Significance
Emergency rule became the central instrument of late-apartheid repression and shaped the climate in which negotiations later began.
Why it matters
Emergency rule became the central instrument of late-apartheid repression and shaped the climate in which negotiations later began.