Historical Organization
United Democratic Front
United Democratic Front
Also known as: UDF
Details
Organization Timeline
The United Democratic Front is launched
📅 20 August 1983Delegates from hundreds of civic, youth, religious, women's and labour organizations formed a national front against the tricameral constitution and apartheid.
Coloured voters largely boycott tricameral elections
📅 22 August 1984Low participation in elections for the House of Representatives reflected mass rejection of a constitution designed to divide oppressed communities.
Indian voters largely boycott tricameral elections
📅 28 August 1984The boycott of the House of Delegates election weakened the legitimacy of the apartheid government's constitutional reform.
The Vaal uprising begins
📅 3 September 1984Township residents protested rent increases and illegitimate Black local authorities. Police violence helped turn the revolt into a national period of insurrection.
Security forces abduct and kill the Cradock Four
📅 27 June 1985Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli were murdered after organizing Eastern Cape communities against apartheid local government.
The state suppresses the tenth anniversary of Soweto
📅 16 June 1986Security forces detained activists and restricted gatherings, while communities commemorated the students killed in 1976 and renewed demands for liberation.
The government restricts the UDF and allied organizations
📅 24 February 1988Seventeen democratic organizations were effectively prohibited from political activity, forcing opposition networks to reorganize through the Mass Democratic Movement.
Democratic organizations meet De Klerk about political violence
📅 11 September 1990ANC, UDF and COSATU representatives demanded government action as township killings threatened peaceful change.