The enforcement of the emergency restrictions has been carried out by the various police forces, chiefly by the South African Police (SAP), municipal police and bantustan police units, and the South African Defence Force (SADF).
Immediately after the imposition of the emergency, a number of Citizen Force (part-time) army units were mobilised to supplement the large number of army units already deployed in and around townships. These included regular SADF units consisting mainly of white National Servicemen undergoing two year periods of compulsory military service, Citizen Force units whose members had been mobilised for two-month periods of duty, units such as 1 Parachute Battalion and the locally-based part-time commando force. These forces have been supplemented by 'vigilantes', often recruited and armed by the police. With police backing they have caused havoc in many areas. In Crossroads, groups of people known as 'Witdoeke' aided the police and army in forcibly evicting thousands of 'illegal' squatters by burning down their dwellings. (FM 9.5.86)
Steps have been taken to more than double the total size of the various police forces over the next ten years. Over the past year a new police force controlled by the Department of Constitutional Development and Planning has been placed at the disposal of the Black Local Authorities set up to maintain apartheid administration in the townships. More than 8,000 recruits have been armed, trained by the SADF and SAP and deployed in the front line of township operations. Many of the trainees have had to be recruited from rural areas as a result of resistance in the townships. (FM 7.3.86)
COMMAND AND CONTROL
Overall military and police strategy is determined through the National Security Management System, a secret nationwide structure falling under the overall direction of the State Security Council. On an operational level, local deployment is most likely to be coordinated by a Joint Operational Centre. Police and military forces remain under their own command during joint operations and follow their own operational procedures, according to the Minister of Defence, General Malan. It was revealed in parliament in February that confidential guidelines had been drawn up to determine whether the SADF or SAP assumes 'primary responsibility' for a given operation. Similar arrangements have been made with regard to bantustan police and military units, although in many cases the SADF or SAP has retained direct command over operations in bantustan areas. (Debates 25.2.86; DD 5.6.86)
OPERATIONS
Police and army operations during the State of Emergency are likely to have followed the pattern established over the past eighteen months. In most townships, joint police and army patrols, either on foot or, more usually, in armoured vehicles, are now routine. The patrols carry out reconnaissance, maintain a show of force and in many cases mount indiscriminate attacks on residents. The patrols have been regularly attacked, initially with stones and petrol bombs but increasingly with small arms. Landmines have also been laid and in some townships residents have been digging trenches to trap vehicle patrols. The number of armed attacks on patrols has increased considerably in recent months.
Apart from day-to-day patrols, police and troops have mounted attacks on churches, schools, halls and other venues to break up meetings and funerals or carry out arrests. The funerals for victims of police and army attacks, which have often turned into large political rallies, have been the scene of some of the largest operations, involving the occupation of stadiums and other venues and the sealing off of entire townships. Large-scale 'pacification' operations have also been carried out, in which townships are sealed off while troops and police carry out systematic house-to-house searches.
There is evidence that townships throughout the country were sealed off on and around 16 June. Extensive roadblocks were reported around Durban, and in Pretoria leaflets were dropped from the air into townships warning residents to stay indoors and observe a curfew. Extensive operations were also reported in the Eastern Transvaal, while in the Cape there were scattered reports of police and troops breaking up church services and carrying out detentions. From Mdantsane, reports were received of troops breaking up a church service and smashing up pews and other furnishings and carrying out a 'reign of terror' in the township, assaulting residents and breaking into houses.
Further large-scale police and army actions took place on 14 July, when African students were due to return to school after extended holidays. Armoured vehicles were reported to be stationed outside schools, and troops and police deployed inside classrooms in order to enforce the issuing of identity cards to pupils. This led to a renewal of the schools boycott in many areas. (DN 16/20.6.86; S Trib 22.6.86; Star 27.6.86)
