Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

The Emergency made Simple

2 min read

Should you intend discussing any of the following topics:

  • Security force action

  • Boycotts

  • The treatment of detainees

  • The release of any detainee

  • ‘People’s courts’

  • Street committees

    • Simply phone these numbers to ask for permission:

    • PW Botha (State President) — (021) 45-2225

  • Pik Botha (Minister of Foreign Affairs) — (012) 28-6912

  • Chris Heunis (Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Planning) — (021) 45-7295

  • Magnus Malan (Minister of Defence) — (012) 26-6718

  • Adriaan Vlok (Minister of Law and Order) — (012) 323-8880

  • Kobie Coetsee (Minister of Justice) — (012) 323-8581

  • Stoffel Botha (Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications) — (012) 26-8081

  • Gerrit Viljoen (Minister of Development Aid and Education) — (012) 28-5171

  • Barend du Plessis (Minister of Finance) — (012) 26-0261

  • Danie Steyn (Minister of Economic Affairs and Technology) — (012) 266-568

  • Willie van der Merwe (Minister of Health and Population Development) — (012) 28-4773

  • Bureau for Information:
    (012) 21-7397
    (012)21-7529
    (012)21-7396
    (012)21-7528
    (012) 21-7528

  • Neil Barnard (Head of the National Intelligence Service) — (012) 323-9761

  • PW van der Westhuizen (Secretary of the State Security Council) –(012) 325-4780

    • Section 3(4)(i) of yesterday’s new Emergency Regulations authorizes any minister, deputy minister or government official to allow discussion of forbidden topics

    See PAGE 3 for details

    Ministers can give permission
    If you want to discuss anything that falls within the Emergency regulations, you had better phone the authorities for permission. The Emergency regulations now hold up the threat of 10 years imprisonment, with or without the option of a R20 000 fine, for anyone who “whether orally or in writing, makes any subversive statements or causes such a statement to be made”.

    This means you could be in trouble if you make such a statement at the dinner table, in casual conversation or oven in private notebooks. And you will have to be careful. Illegal statements now include:

    • The fact that a detainee has been released or even the circumstances of his or her detention;

  • The effect of a consumer boycott on business performance;

  • Date, time, place and purpose of a gathering that has been restricted;

  • Certain words of any of the scores of people served with Emergency restrictions.

    • The only way you can talk about such issues is if you get permission from a cabinet minister, deputy-cabinet minister, the Bureau for Information or a government spokesman. So, if you want to talk about these things, we suggest you phone one of the numbers given on our front page and ask for permission. Since all those people listed are public servants, whose salaries are paid by the taxpayer, we are certain they will assist with any reasonable request from citizens not wishing to break the law.