When President de Clerk of South Africa died on September 3, 2007, it seemed as though another election would take place. However, this thought was proved false when members of a radical anti-apartheid group named the South African National Union started riots in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. these quickly proved violent, and the ruling party, the Pure South Africa Party, sent the military to stop them. This escalated the incident into the Battle of the Three Cities.