# Terrorism Act, 1967

* related portals: Acts of the Parliament of South Africa.
* sister projects: Wikipedia article, Wikidata item.
The Terrorism Act (No. 83 of 1967) was a security law of the apartheid government in South Africa which criminalised a broadly defined offence of "terrorism". It also gave the police the power to detain people indefinitely, incommunicado and without a trial or court appearance. The act came into force when it was published on 21 June 1967, but it was deemed to be retroactive to 27 June 1962. The act was repealed on 2 July 1982 when its provisions were incorporated into the Internal Security Act, 1982.
This is the text as originally enacted and does not incorporate any amendments.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 prohibit terroristic activities and to amend the law relating to criminal procedure; and to provide for other incidental matters.
(English text signed by the Acting State President.) (Assented to 12th June, 1967.)
Be it enacted by the State President, the Senate and the House of Assembly of the Republic of South Africa, as follows:―
1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise indicates—
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
2. Subject to the provisions of subsection (4), any person who—
(a)
(b)
(c)
shall be guilty of the offence of participation in terroristic activities and liable on conviction to the penalties provided for by law for the offence of treason: Provided that, except where the death penalty is imposed, the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for a period of not less than five years shall be compulsory, whether or not any other penalty is also imposed.
(2) If in any prosecution for an offence contemplated in subsection (1) (a) it is proved that the accused has committed or attempted to commit, or conspired with any other person to aid or procure the commission of or to commit, or incited, instigated, commanded, aided, advised, encouraged or procured any other person to commit the act alleged in the charge, and that the commission of such act, had or was likely to have had any of the following results in the Republic or any portion thereof, namely—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
the accused shall be presumed to have committed or attempted to commit, or conspired with such other person to aid or procure the commission of or to commit, or incited, instigated, commanded, aided, advised, encouraged or procured such other person to commit, such act with intent to endanger the maintenance of law and order in the Republic, unless it is proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he did not intend any of the results aforesaid.
(3) In any prosecution for an offence under this section, any document, book, record, pamphlet, publication or written instrument—
(a)
(b)
(c)
and any photostatic copy of any such document, book, record, pamphlet, publication or written instrument, shall be admissible in evidence against the accused as prima facie proof of the contents thereof.
(4) No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (1) committed at any place outside the Republic, if such person proves that he is not a South African citizen and has not at any time before or after the commencement of this ​Act been resident in the Republic and that he has not at any time after such commencement, entered or been in the Republic in contravention of any law.
3. Any person who harbours or conceals or directly or indirectly renders any assistance to any other person whom he has reason to believe to be a terrorist, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to the penalties provided by law for the offence of treason: Provided that, except where the death penalty is imposed, the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment for a period of not less than five years shall be compulsory, whether or not any other penalty is imposed.
4. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law or the common law contained any superior court or attorney-general in the Republic shall have jurisdiction in respect of any offence under this Act committed outside the area of jurisdiction of such court or attorney-general, as if it had been committed within such area.
(2) If the Minister so directs the trial of any person for an offence under this Act, shall take place at such place in the Republic as the Minister may determine.
(3) Whenever the trial for an offence under this Act committed in the territory or elsewhere outside the Republic, takes place in the Republic, whether or not on the instructions of the Minister, the laws relating to procedure and evidence of the Republic shall apply in respect of such trial and whenever the trial for such an offence committed in the Republic or elsewhere outside the territory so takes place in the territory, the laws relating to procedure and evidence of the territory shall so apply.
5. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law or the common law contained—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
6. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law contained, any commissioned officer as defined in section 1 of the Police Act, 1958 (Act No. 7 of 1958), of or above the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel may, if he has reason to believe that any person who happens to be at any place in the Republic, is a terrorist or is withholding from the South African Police any information relating to terrorists or to offences under this Act, arrest such person or cause him to be arrested, without warrant and detain or cause such person to be detained for interrogation at such place in the Republic and subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may, subject to the directions of the Minister, from time to time determine, until the Commissioner orders his release when satisfied that he has satisfactorily replied to all questions at the said interrogation or that no useful purpose will be served by his further detention, or until his release is ordered in terms of subsection (4).
(2) The commissioner shall, as soon as possible after the arrest of any detainee, advise the Minister of his name and the place where he is being detained, and shall furnish the Minister once a month with the reasons why any detainee shall not be released.
(3) Any detainee may at any time make representations in writing to the Minister relating to his detention or release.
(4) The Minister may at any time order the release of any detainee.
​(5) No court of law shall pronounce upon the validity of any action taken under this section, or order the release of any detainee.
(6) No person, other than the Minister or an officer in the service of the State acting in the performance of his official duties, shall have access to any detainee, or shall be entitled to any official information relating to or obtained from any detainee.
(7) If circumstances so permit, a detainee shall be visited in private by a magistrate at least once a fortnight.
7. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law contained, any warrant, summons, subpoena or other process issued under any law of the Republic or of the territory in proceedings in the connection with any criminal proceedings, shall be of force and effect throughout the Republic and the territory.
(2) Whenever any person has been arrested in the territory under any warrant aforesaid issued in the Republic, or has been arrested in the Republic under any such warrant issued in the territory, he shall, as soon as possible, be taken to the place mentioned in such warrant or, if no such place is mentioned in the warrant, to the place where the warrant was issued, and if such person has escaped or has been rescued from custody, he may be arrested without warrant at any place in the Republic or the territory by any person.
8. No trial for an offence under this Act shall be instituted without the written authority given personally by an attorney-general or acting attorney-general.
9. (1) This Act, except sections 3, 6 and 7, shall be deemed to have come into operation on the twenty-seventh day of June, 1962, and shall, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law or the common law contained, apply also in respect of or with reference to any act committed (including the undergoing of any training or the possession of anything) at any time on or after the said date.
(2) This Act and any amendment thereof which may be made from time to time, shall apply also in the territory, including the Eastern Caprivi Zipfel referred to in section 3 of the South-West Africa Affairs Amendment Act, 1951 (Act No. 55 of 1951), and in relation to all persons in that portion of the territory known as the “Rehoboth Gebiet” and defined in the First Schedule to Proclamation No. 28 of 1923 of the territory.
10. This Act shall be called the Terrorism Act, 1967.
This work is in the public domain because it was created and first published in South Africa and it is an official text of a legislative, administrative or legal nature, or an official translation of such a text.
According to the Copyright Act, 1978, § 12 (8) (a), "No copyright shall subsist in official texts of a legislative, administrative or legal nature, or in official translations of such texts."
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse