1878 in South Africa

	1878 in South Africa
1875 1876 1877 « 1878 » 1879 1880 1881
List of years in South Africa

Events

March

• 12 – Commander R.C. Dryer takes possession of the area surrounding Walvis Bay.

May

• 14 – Paul Kruger leads a second deputation to the United Kingdom to demand the freedom of the South African Republic.

July

• 17 – Nqwiliso, tribal chief of western Mpondoland and eldest son of the warrior Chief Ndamase, ceded sovereign rights of Umzimvubu River mouth to the Cape Colony

December

• 11 – The British present an ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo, triggering the Anglo-Zulu War.

Unknown date

• The 9th Cape Frontier War ends.
• The first telephones are set up in the Cape.
• The telegraph service between Natal and Transvaal is opened.
• The British suspend the elected Cape Government and assume direct control, after escalating disagreements on confederation and frontier policy.
• The last confirmed Cape Lion dies.

Births

• 14 March – Alexander du Toit, geologist. (d. 1948)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 25 May – Natal – Umgeni to Avoca, 4 miles 21 chains (6.9 kilometres).
• 1 August – Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart, 48 miles 70 chains (78.7 kilometres).
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne, 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 kilometres).
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – East London to Landing Jetty, 1 mile 58 chains (2.8 kilometres).
• 4 September – Natal – Durban to Pinetown, 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).

File:CGR Port Alfred Aid 0-4-0ST.jpg

CGR 0-4-0ST 1878 "Aid"

• 4 November – Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Grootfontein, 86 miles 49 chains (139.4 kilometres).

Locomotives

• The Cape Government Railways places a second locomotive in service on construction work on the Kowie harbour project at Port Alfred, a 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) broad gauge 0-4-0 saddle-tank engine named "Aid".