1974 in South Africa
Encyclopedia
January
- 4 January - Harry SchwarzHarry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
met with Mangosuthu ButheleziMangosuthu ButheleziInkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi is a South African Zulu politician who founded the Inkatha Freedom Party in 1975 and continues to lead the party today.His praise name is Shenge.-Early life:...
signed the Mahlabatini Declaration of FaithMahlabatini DeclarationThe Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith was a statement of core principles laid down by South African political leaders Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz on 4 January 1974. It was signed in Mahlabatini, KwaZulu-Natal, hence its name...
, a five-point 5 point plan for racial peace in South Africa.
March
- 18 March - Members of the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
's Executive or Central Committee are banned from South Africa - 19 March - The Narcotics Bureau of the South African PoliceSouth African PoliceThe South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
is founded - 19 March - Chief Minister Cedric PhatudiCedric PhatudiCedric Namedi Phatudi was the Chief Minister of Lebowa, one of the controversial South African bantustans.Born in Mphahlele, Phatudi initially worked as a teacher and educational administrator before attending the University of Fort Hare, gaining a BA in 1947 and a teaching diploma in 1950 at the...
of LebowaLebowaLebowa was a bantustan located in the Transvaal in north eastern South Africa. Seshego initially acted as Lebowa's capital while the purpose-built Lebowakgomo was being constructed. Granted internal self-government on 2 October 1972 and ruled for much of its existence by Cedric Phatudi, Lebowa...
signed the ‘Seshego Declaration’ with the United Party Transvaal leader, Harry SchwarzHarry SchwarzHarry Heinz Schwarz was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid, who eventually served as the South African ambassador to the United States during the country’s transition to representative democracy.Schwarz rose from the childhood poverty he...
and the United Party M.P. for Durban North aiming at peaceful change, a federal system and a stake in society for black people.
April
- 24 April - Whites only general electionSouth African general election, 1974The 1974 South African general election, held on 24 April, was called one year earlier than scheduled by Prime Minister John Vorster on 4 February. The House of Assembly was increased from 166 to 171 members. The Progressive Party made a major advance. In addition to Helen Suzman, re-elected for...
is held. Won by the National PartyNational Party (South Africa)The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a... - 25 April - A coup in Portugal leds to withdrawal from its colonies in AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
May
- 6 May - The British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish LionsThe British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
begin a controversial twenty-two match rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
tour of South Africa and RhodesiaRhodesiaRhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965... - 29 May - B.J. VorsterB.J. VorsterBalthazar Johannes Vorster , better known as John Vorster, served as the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and as the fourth State President of South Africa from 1978 to 1979...
, Prime Minister of South Africa and Ian SmithIan SmithIan Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
, Prime Minister of RhodesiaPrime Minister of RhodesiaThe Prime Minister of Rhodesia was the head of government in the colony of Rhodesia. Rhodesia's political system was modelled on the Westminster system and the Prime Minister's role was similar to that of the same position in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New...
, meet for talks and agree to co-operative coexistence with, and non-interference in the internal affairs of a black-ruled MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
June
- 5 June - The Japanese government announces that South Africans will no longer be granted visas to enter Japan
September
- 22–23 September - John VorsterB.J. VorsterBalthazar Johannes Vorster , better known as John Vorster, served as the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978 and as the fourth State President of South Africa from 1978 to 1979...
, Prime Minister of South Africa hold talks with Félix Houphouët-BoignyFélix Houphouët-BoignyFélix Houphouët-Boigny , affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was the first President of Côte d'Ivoire. Originally a village chief, he worked as a doctor, an administrator of a plantation, and a union leader, before being elected to the French Parliament and serving in a number of...
, President of Côte d'IvoireHeads of state of Côte d'Ivoire-Presidents of Côte d'Ivoire :-Affiliations:-See also:*Côte d'Ivoire**Heads of government of Côte d'Ivoire**Colonial heads of the Côte d'Ivoire...
October
- 25 October - Pik BothaPik BothaRoelof Frederik "Pik" Botha is a former South African politician who served as the country's foreign minister in the last years of the apartheid era...
declares at the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
that South Africa is beginning to make far-reaching reforms
Births
- January 11 — David, Elizabeth, Emma, Grant, Jason and Nicolette RosenkowitzRosenkowitz sextupletsThe Rosenkowitz Sextuplets were the first known set of sextuplets to survive infancy.-Biography:Born to Susan Wilson at Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, the sextuplets are:...
are born in 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...
, the first sextuplets in the world where all six babies survived - February 7 — Steve NashSteve NashStephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
, 20052004-05 NBA seasonThe 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
and 20062005-06 NBA seasonThe 2005–06 NBA season was the 60th season of the National Basketball Association. It began on November 1, 2005 and ran through April 19, 2006...
NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
MVP, is born 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...
(emigrated with his family to Canada in early childhood and raised there) - March 5 — Megan HallMegan HallMegan Hall is an triathlete from South Africa.Hall competed at the second Olympic triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She took thirty-sixth place with a total time of 2:16:26.53.-References:*...
, triathlete - March 15 — Percy MontgomeryPercy MontgomeryPercival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...
, Springboks rugby player - April 13 — K. Sello DuikerK. Sello DuikerKabelo "Sello" Duiker, , was a South African novelist. His debut novel, Thirteen Cents, won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize for best first book written by an African writer...
, novelist (d. 2005) - June 30 — Hezekiél SepengHezekiél SepengHezekiél Sello Sepeng , is a South African middle distance runner who came second in the Olympic 800 metres final in Atlanta 1996 , the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the World Championships' final in Seville 1999...
, athleteAthletics (track and field)Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, is born in Potchefstroom - June 12 — Sivan Pillay, Entertainment Executive (music and television), lead singer of Rock band Hunting Season, is born in DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
- November 8 — Penny Heyns, breaststroke swimmer
Deaths
- 1 February - Onkgopotse Abram Tiro, a leader of the South African Students' OrganisationSouth African Students' OrganisationThe South African Students' Organisation was a body of South African students who resisted apartheid through political action. The organization was formed in 1968, spearheaded by Steve Biko, and played a major role in the Black Consciousness Movement....
, is killed by a letter bombBombA bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
near GaboroneGaborone' is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 191,776 based on a 2006 survey, about 10% of the total population of Botswana....
, BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966... - 30 April - Johanna Suzanna Holtzhausen, a coloraturaColoraturaColoratura has several meanings. The word is originally from Italian, literally meaning "coloring", and derives from the Latin word colorare . When used in English, the term specifically refers to elaborate melody, particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and...
singer and member of the Music Committee of the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations, dies at the age of 88