Judgement is handed down in a landmark case

The Appeal Court handed down a landmark decision in the case Rikhoto v. East Rand Administration Board (ERAB), granting him the right to permanent urban status. The ruling was likely to affect about 150, 000 Black contract workers in urban areas, who could apply to have their families living with them. The case sought improvements in "influx control" or the freedom of movement of Black South Africans. These cases contributed to the gradual dismantling of apartheid laws regulating movement and torture, and became part of the process of chipping away of apartheid policies.