S. Africa Bans Any Rallies to Mark ’76 Riots

The minister of law and order today banned all public gatherings in South Africa with any connection to the 10th anniversary of the Soweto riots.

The ban extends through June 30. It also covers any gathering commemorating the signing the so-called Freedom Charter, a set of principles adopted June 26, 1955, in Soweto by representatives of all races proposing a framework for a future non-racial South Africa.

Earlier, the government banned outdoor meetings, except when authorized on an individual basis.

Indoor Meetings Included

The new decree extends the ban to indoor meetings connected with the Soweto riots of June 16, 1976, or the signing of the Freedom Charter. The decree said exceptions will be allowed only when authorized by Law and Order Minister Louis le Grange or a local magistrate.

Millions of blacks are expected to stay away from work and school June 16.

Anti-apartheid groups have been planning nationwide rallies on that day to commemorate the Soweto uprising, when black youths went on a rampage in Johannesburg’s main black township after several students at a demonstration were shot to death by police.

The uprising set off a chain of riots nationwide which persisted for more than a year. Within nine months, 575 people were killed, according to official figures. Unofficial estimates placed the toll at more than 1,000.