# Unlawful Organizations Act, 1960

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The Unlawful Organizations Act (No. 34 of 1960) was security legislation by which the government of apartheid South Africa banned the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress. It subjected them to the same banning regime already applied to the South African Communist Party under the Suppression of Communism Act, 1950. The act was published on 7 April 1960 and the banning of the ANC and PAC was proclaimed on the following day. The act was repealed on 2 July 1982 when its provisions were incorporated into the Internal Security Act, 1982. The banning of the ANC and PAC was finally lifted on 3 February 1990.
This is the text as originally enacted and does not incorporate any amendments. A series of other versions incorporating amendments are also available on Wikisource.
Act
To empower the Governor-General, with a view to the safety of the public or the maintenance of public order, by proclamation in the Gazette to declare the Pan Africanist Congress and the African National Congress and certain other organizations to be unlawful organizations, to amend the Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956, and to provide for other incidental matters.
(English text signed by the Governor-General.) (Assented to 7th April, 1960.)
Be it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, as follows:―
1. (1) If the Governor-General is satisfied that the safety of the public or the maintenance of public order is seriously threatened or is likely to be seriously threatened in consequence of the activities of the body known as the Pan Africanist Congress or the body known as the African National Congress, he may, without notice to the body concerned, by proclamation in the Gazette declare such body, including all branches, sections or committees thereof, and all local, regional or subsidiary bodies forming part thereof, to be an unlawful organization.
(2) If the Governor-General is satisfied that the safety of the public or the maintenance of public order is seriously threatened or is likely to be seriously threatened in consequence of the activities of any organization which in his opinion has been established for the purpose of carrying on directly or indirectly any of the activities of any body which has in terms of sub-section (1) been declared to be an unlawful organization, or of any organization which in his opinion directly or indirectly carries on or proposes to carry on any of the said or any like activities, he may, without notice to the organization concerned, by proclamation in the Gazette declare such organization to be an unlawful organization.
(3) Any proclamation issued under sub-section (1) or (2) shall remain in force for a period not exceeding twelve months, but the duration thereof may from time to time be extended by like proclamation in the Gazette for further periods not exceeding twelve months at a time.
(4) The Governor-General may withdraw any proclamation under sub-section (1) or (2) by like proclamation in the Gazette.
2. The provisions of section one, sub-section (3) of section two, and sections three to fifteen, inclusive, of the Suppression of Communism Act, 1950, except sub-section (10) of section four, sections five bis and six, paragraph (b) of sub-section (1) ​and sub-section (2) of section seven, and sections eight, eight bis, nine, ten and fourteen, shall in so far as they are appropriate and can be applied, mutatis mutandis apply with reference to any organization which in terms of a proclamation under sub-section (1) or (2) of section one of this Act is an unlawful organization, and for that purpose—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
3. The Minister shall lay copies of any proclamation issued under section one on the Tables of both Houses of Parliament within fourteen days after the publication thereof, if Parliament is then in session, or, if Parliament is not then in session, within fourteen days after the commencement of its first ensuing session.
4. (1) Section fifteen of the Riotous Assemblies Act, 1956, is hereby amended by the substitution for all the words following the word “liable” of the words “to the penalties prescribed in section two of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1953 (Act No. 8 of 1953)”.
(2) Sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have come into operation on the twenty-eighth day of March, 1960.
5. This Act shall apply also in the territory of South-West Africa.
6. This Act shall be called the Unlawful Organizations Act, 1960.
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