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South Africa became a republic.
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The General Law Amendment Act allowed the government to hold people for consecutive 90-day periods without trial (the length was decreased to 15 days in 1966)
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The worst domestic confrontation since Sharpeville took place in Soweto, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, where blacks violently protested the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools. Suppression of the riots by South African police left at least 174 blacks dead and 1,139 injured
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South African troops joined the Angolan civil conflict in an attempt to prevent a Soviet-backed faction from coming to power. Unsuccessful, the troops withdrew.
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30-year-old Steven Biko, died while in police custody. He spearheaded the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa.
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A new, nationwide state of emergency was imposed, with police and the military exercising extraordinary powers of arrest and detention. At least 4,000 and possibly as many as 10,000 people were detained, including over 1,400 aged 18 or under.
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President P.W. Botha resigned as head of the NP after a mild stroke in January. He was replaced by F. W. de Klerk who, on 15 August, was also named acting state president.
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The government, the ANC, and Inkatha signed a pact to end factional fighting.
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24 ANC supporters were killed by the Ciskei army troops as they marched in protest on the homeland's capital.
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The flag of South Africa was adopted.
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Testimony in a court case also linked death squads to the highest levels of government, including the prime minister's office.
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Same-sex marriage became legal in South Africa.
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South Africa has become increasingly integrated into the international system, and foreign investment has increased dramatically. Still, the economic disparities between population groups are expected to persist for many years, remaining an area of priority for the government.
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South Africa was awarded a non permanent seat on the UN Security Council
