In 1953, the Public Safety Act was enacted by the apartheid South African government (coming into force 4 March).

This Act empowered the government to declare stringent states of emergency and increased penalties for protesting against or supporting the repeal of a law.

Under Section 3, this power was granted to the Governor General (and later, the State President), and it effectively put no limits on what measures might be taken, or for how long.

If the justice minister or administrator of South West Africa deemed it necessary, they could declare a state of emergency but the governor general had to approve their action within ten days.

[1] Under a state of emergency, the Minister of Law and Order, the Commissioner of the South African Police (SAP), a magistrate, or a commissioned officer [1] could detain any person for "reasons of public safety".