On 12 September 1985, South Africa’s apartheid government announced a nationwide state of emergency in response to intensifying resistance, mass protests, and escalating violence across urban townships and rural areas. The measure followed weeks and months of increasing confrontations between anti-apartheid activists — including the United Democratic Front (UDF), civic organizations, and in some areas armed groups — and security forces. The declaration marked a significant escalation from earlier, localized emergency measures and expanded the state’s legal authority to suppress dissent. Provisions and immediate effects The nationwide emergency granted security forces extensive powers: it enabled widespread arrests without charge, broadened curfews, allowed military deployment alongside the police, and increased censorship and restrictions on public gatherings. Detention without trial and restriction orders were used more extensively; newspapers and other media faced tighter controls, and many civic leaders and activists were detained or sought refuge underground. The government framed the emergency as necessary to restore order and combat what it described as "terrorism" and insurrection, while opponents argued it was intended to crush growing anti-apartheid mobilization. Political and social context The 1985 declaration came amid a deteriorating security and political environment. From the late 1970s and into the 1980s, sustained internal resistance — notably the 1976 Soweto uprising’s long-term effects, the formation of broad anti-apartheid coalitions, and frequent township protests and strikes — increasingly challenged apartheid authority. Economic strains, international sanctions, and rising political isolation intensified pressure on the regime. The government’s imposition of a national emergency formalized a harsher security approach that had been expanding in practice. Domestic reaction Within South Africa, the emergency provoked anger and fear among Black communities and anti-apartheid groups. Many community organizations and churches condemned the measures as draconian and called for civil disobedience and international support. Reports of abuses, including beatings, torture, and extrajudicial killings associated with heightened security operations, increased public alarm. Conversely, segments of the white population and political establishment said strong measures were required to prevent the spread of violence and maintain stability. International response International reaction was swift and largely critical. Governments, human rights organizations, and anti-apartheid movements worldwide condemned the emergency as another example of the regime’s repression. Calls for economic sanctions and cultural boycotts intensified; several Western governments reviewed or expanded punitive measures. The United Nations and other international bodies reiterated demands for dismantling apartheid and protecting human rights. Longer-term significance The 1985 nationwide emergency deepened the cycle of repression and resistance. It did not end unrest; rather, it contributed to further domestic polarization and hardened international opposition. The emergency period also accelerated debates within South Africa about reform and the sustainability of apartheid policies. Over subsequent years, continued resistance, economic pressure, and shifts within the regime culminated in negotiations that ultimately led to the dismantling of apartheid in the early 1990s. Historians view the 1985 emergency as a critical juncture that illustrated both the durability of state repression and the resilience of anti-apartheid mobilization. Notes on sources and scope This summary synthesizes widely documented facts about the 12 September 1985 nationwide emergency and its political context. Specific details such as numbers of detainees or incidents of abuse vary among contemporary reports and scholarly estimates; where such figures are contested, this account refrains from presenting disputed statistics as definitive.