The use of powers to restrict individuals entered a new phase on 23 September when the government announced the promulgation of a new emergency regulation. It enables the regime to impose restrictions on people (including house arrest) merely by publishing a notice – previously orders had to be served personally. During the State of Emergency, restriction orders have been used with increasing frequency and, on a number of recent occasions, have also been imposed for short periods in order to prevent people participating in specific events.
The announcement coincided with the restriction of four senior trade union officials who were believed to be involved in the organisation of an anti-apartheid conference in Cape Town scheduled for 24–25 September. Two-week restrictions were served on Sydney MAFUMADI (Assistant General Secretary of COSATU), Chris DLAMINI (COSATU Vice-President), Donsie KHUMALO (Northern Transvaal Regional Secretary of COSATU) and Vusi KHUMALO (President of the Post Office and Telecommunications Workers’ Association). At the time they were at Jan Smuts Airport in Johannesburg waiting for a flight to Cape Town. The order placed them under house arrest at night and confined them to the magisterial district of Johannesburg. Four people detained in Cape Town on 21 September had been placed under similar orders between February and September. Trevor MANUEL, Mountain QUMBELA, Zolli MALINDI and Neville VAN DER RHEEDE had in addition been prohibited from working for the UDF.
Also restricted was Raymond SUTTNER, a former member of the Transvaal executive of the UDF and university lecturer, who was banned under the emergency regulations on his release from detention on 5 September. Included in the comprehensive orders are restrictions obliging him to report to the police station twice daily; limiting him to the company of no more than four people at a time; placing him under night house arrest and preventing him entering any ‘educational institution’. Suttner was detained on 12 June 1986.
