Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front

Police raid the UDF offices, 1985 © The Star newspaper - Source:www.sahistory.org.za

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front — Police raid the UDF offices, 1985 © The Star newspaper - Source:www.sahistory.org.za

A year after the United Democratic Front (UDF) was formed, Security Police raided their offices. This came amid nationwide unrest which started on 3 September 1984 in Sebokeng, Vaal. The UDF was an umbrella organisation of anti-apartheid groups. It filled a void created when organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC), Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), South African Communist Party (SACP) and others were banned under the Unlawful Organisations Act. The UDF was launched at Mitchell's Plain in Cape Town.

How we know this

01O’Malley P. ‘1984’, from Nelson Mandela Center of Memory and Dialog, [online], available at www.nelsonmandela.org.za (Accessed: 02 October 2012)
02South African History Online, ‘The people armed, 1984-1990’, [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 02 October 2012)

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, October 31). Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093952

South African History Online (2012) 'Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front', South African History Online, 31 October. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093952 (Accessed: 1 November 2026).

South African History Online, Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093952, (accessed 1 November 2026).

"Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front." South African History Online, 31 Oct. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093952. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

South African History Online. "Security police raid offices of the United Democratic Front." South African History Online. October 31, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0093952.