The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships

At the height of township violence in Transvaal, President F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela held a series of meetings to discuss means of quelling the unrest. Following these deliberations the government announced 'Operation Iron Fist' to put down the fighting. These measures included a curfew; the cordoning off of hostels and squatter camps with razor wire; the use of aerial spray dyes; and, mounting light machine guns on armoured vehicles. Twenty-seven townships were placed under emergency rule. Though a call was made by a few Black groups to boycott the curfew, it proved effective when it returned uneasy calm to townships.A few days later, on 19 September, amid accusations that the security forces were contributing to the violence, De Klerk ordered the formation of "special investigative units" to examine allegations of police misconduct in the township violence.

How we know this

01Fraser, R. (1989). Keesing's Record of World Events News Digest for September 1990. Longman: London, p. 37698.
02Meer, F. (ed) (1993). The Codesa file. Durban: Madiba Publishers, p. 29.

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012919

South African History Online (2011) 'The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012919 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

South African History Online, The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012919, (accessed 12 October 2026).

"The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012919. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "The government launches ‘Operation Iron Fist’ in townships." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012919.