1961 in South Africa
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1961 in South Africa | |
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Incumbents
- State President: Charles Robberts Swart (starting 31 May)
Events
- February
- 14 – Decimalisation of currency replaces the South African pound with the South African rand.[1]
- March
- 15 – South Africa withdraws from the Commonwealth.
- The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions submits a memorandum to the United Nations General Assembly calling for economic sanctions against South Africa.
- May
- 30 – Charles Robberts Swart resigns as Governor-General of South Africa.
- 31 – South Africa becomes a republic.
- 31 – Charles Robberts Swart becomes the first State President of South Africa.
- June
- 4 – The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hassim Jawad, announces that Iraq will not recognise the South African government because of its apartheid policies.
- October
- The National Party wins the South African election, winning 105 of 160 seats in Parliament.
- The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the president of the African National Congress, Dr Albert Luthuli.
- November
- Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress, is established.[2]
- December
- 16 – Umkhonto we Sizwe commences its sabotage campaign with a bomb attack on the Durban office of the Department of Bantu Administration and Development.[2]
- Unknown date
- Eendrag Men's Residence opens its doors to students of Stellenbosch University.
- Mimi Coertse is awarded the Medal of Honour of Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.
- The Department of Indian Affairs is established.
Births
- 1 February - Jeremy Maggs, TV personality
- 4 March - Roger Wessels, golfer
- 10 April - Tian Viljoen, tennis player
- 16 April - Schalk van der Merwe, tennis player
- 1 May - Christo Steyn, tennis player
- 23 June - Ivan Wingreen, cricketer (died 2014)
- 30 August - Brian Mitchell, boxer
- 6 September - Adolf Malan, rugby union player
- 28 September - Wayne Westner, golfer
- 10 October - Jonathan Butler, singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 14 October - Kevin Moir, tennis player
- 5 December - Ada Booyens, race walker
Deaths
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Railways
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Sports
Rugby
- 13 May – The South African Springboks beat Ireland 24-8.
