Botha Declares a State of Emergency to Curb June 16 Celebrations
On 12 June 1986, apartheid State President P.W. Botha declared a national State of Emergency to curb June 16 10th Anniversary celebrations. In an Editorial in its Official Organ, ‘Sechaba’, the African National Congress (ANC) wrote, that “The racists have been running mad since the beginning of June, or even earlier. They detained and arrested more than 4 000 people. The aim of this swoop – bigger than the post Sharpeville arrests in 1960 or the post-Soweto detentions in 1976 – was to immobilise Black opposition and then attack the leaderless Black masses. The removal of ‘agitators’ meant the arming of vigilantes – Black puppets – who caused havoc in places like Crossroads where the police were seen turning a blind eye to the attacks on the UDF (United Democratic Front) activists.
“The words ‘return to peaceful conditions’ means the use of coercion and punishment against all political opponents of the regime. This state of emergency”, the Editorial added, “is directed against political opposition and not against active unrest itself. The racist regime pinned its hopes on the belief that the state of emergency would ‘correct’ a ‘misconception’ overseas that South Africa is on the verge of a revolution. If that perception could be changed and a semblance of ‘normality’ restored to the country, then the reform process would be able to continue and relations with South A
