1956 in South Africa
Encyclopedia
February
- 1 February - The South African government requests the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to withdraw its consulateConsul (representative)The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
s
March
- 16 March - The Riotous Assemblies Act no 17 which prohibits any outside gathering that the Minister of Justice sees as a threat to public peace, is passed.
- 17 March - Mimi CoertseMimi CoertseMimi Coertse , is a South African soprano.-Early life:Coertse, born in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, matriculated at the Helpmekaar Girls High School in Johannesburg. She began vocal studies in South Africa in 1949. In July 1953 she married the broadcaster and composer Dawid Engela. She left South Africa...
makes her Vienna State OperaVienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
debut as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
)
August
- 9 August - Women march on the Union Buildings in PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
in protest to the pass laws
December
- Lillian Masediba Ngoyi becomes the first woman ever to be elected to the African National CongressAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
national executive committee - 5 December - 156 leading activists are arrested heralding the start of the Treason TrialTreason TrialThe Treason Trial was a trial in which 156 people, including Nelson Mandela, were arrested in a raid and accused of treason in South Africa in 1956....
Among Those arrested is Lillian Masediba Ngoyi - 19 December - The Four year long Treason TrialTreason TrialThe Treason Trial was a trial in which 156 people, including Nelson Mandela, were arrested in a raid and accused of treason in South Africa in 1956....
begins at the Drill Hall in JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
Unknown date
- Lillian Masediba Ngoyi is elected president of the Federation of South African Women
- Segregation is introduced on buses
- Albert LutuliAlbert LutuliAlbert John Lutuli , also known by his Zulu name Mvumbi, was a South African teacher and politician. Lutuli was elected president of the African National Congress , at the time an umbrella organisation that led opposition to the white minority government in South Africa...
is arrested
Births
- 31 January - Trevor Andrew ManuelTrevor ManuelTrevor Andrew Manuel is a South African politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the National Planning Commission...
, Minister of Finance from 19961996 in South Africa-February:* Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in his capacity as Grand President of the British Commonwealth Ex-Services League visits South Africa* 26 February - South Africa and Algeria restore diplomatic ties-March:...
, born in Kensington, Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... - 1 September - Jeremy BaskinJeremy BaskinJeremy Baskin is a specialist in sustainable business practice. He is a Director of the University of Cambridge's Programme for Industry, running a global programme on Business & Poverty and a range of other programmes in Australia...
, trade unionist and labour market analystFinancial analystA financial analyst, securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job.-Job:...
, is born - 2 November - Lucas Seage, artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, is born in Newclare, JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...