Botha Extends State of Emergency in South Africa

President Pieter W. Botha today extended South Africa’s two-year-old state of emergency for a third year, saying the “ordinary law of the land is still inadequate to protect the lives and possessions of all our citizens” against violence stemming from political unrest.

Botha noted that there has been a considerable decline in political violence, and he said it is “the aspiration of the government that conditions will change to such an extent that the declared state of emergency can be lifted.”

But in the meantime, he said, the government must ensure that the daily lives of South Africans “can continue without fear, intimidation and terror.” He said “there still exists a notable revolutionary climate in the country, and the terrorist threat against our society remains a reality.”

Extension Expected

The state of emergency was proclaimed on June 12, 1986, and renewed a year later. The extension was expected. Some analysts believe Pretoria is concerned about violence before the nationwide municipal elections for all races in October.

In his brief statement, Botha did not say whether any changes will be made in the regulations, whose full text is to be published in the official government gazette later today. Some modifications are expected, possibly including tougher rules governing the news media.

The emergency regulations were instituted after a black uprising from 1984 to 1986, during which 2,000 people died in township violence. The regulations give the army and police broad powers to halt civil unrest, including the authority to order indefinite detentions without trial.

At various times in the past two years, about 32,000 people, mostly blacks, have been held, some for many months. Eighteen organizations opposed to the government have been banned from political activity and two newspapers temporarily closed.

The government’s political opponents, black and white, have regularly demanded that the government lift the emergency regulations. The Five Freedoms Forum, a loose affiliation of anti-apartheid groups, said Thursday that the state of emergency “should be seen for what it is--a ruthless and undemocratic mechanism to retain power.”

Political violence has declined considerably in the past two years, although gasoline-bombings, arson, stone-throwing and clashes with the police have reappeared occasionally--including earlier this week during a three-day general strike by black workers.