1961 in South Africa explained
The following lists events that happened during 1961 in South Africa.
Incumbents
Events
- February
- March
- 15 - South Africa announces its intended withdrawal from the Commonwealth upon becoming a republic. Prime Minister Verwoerd was attending the 1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference at the time. He had tried to seek permission for South Africa to remain a Commonwealth member state upon becoming a republic on 31 May, but it was rejected, because of the South African Government's apartheid policies.
- The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions submits a memorandum to the United Nations General Assembly calling for economic sanctions against South Africa.
- April
Lucas Cornelius Steyn becomes Officer Administering the Government under his dormant commission as a result.
- May
- June
- 4 - The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hassim Jawad, announces that Iraq will not recognise the South African government because of its apartheid policy.
- September
- October
- November
- 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.
- Unknown date
Births
- 1 February - Jeremy Maggs, journalist, radio host and television presenter.
- 2 February - Hastings Ndlovu, schoolboy who was shot and killed in Soweto uprising (d. 1976)
- 4 March - Roger Wessels, golfer.
- 10 April - Tian Viljoen, tennis player.
- 16 April - Schalk van der Merwe, tennis player. (d. 2016)
- 1 May - Christo Steyn, tennis player.
- 23 June - Ivan Wingreen, cricketer. (d. 2014).
- 10 July - Uli Schmidt, former rugby player & Springboks doctor.
- 30 August - Brian Mitchell, boxer.
- 6 September - Adolf Malan, rugby player.
- 28 September - Wayne Westner, golfer. (d. 2017)
- 10 October - Jonathan Butler, singer-songwriter and guitarist.
- 14 October - Kevin Moir, tennis player.
- 5 December - Ada Booyens, race walker.
- 27 December - Gert Smal, rugby player & coach
Deaths
- 4 August - John Hewitt, zoologist and archaeologist (b. 1880)
Sports
Rugby
Notes and References
- http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_gg/ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Governors-General: 1910-1961
- http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_pres1/ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994
- Heffermann, Lutz (1997). The South African Stamp Colour Catalogue (21st ed.). Lutz Heffermann, Johannesburg. p. 58.
- Web site: Countries and Regions > Middle East and Africa > List of the Countries. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117164322/http://www.mofa.go.kr/ENG/countries/middleeast/countries/20070824/1_24466.jsp?menu=m_30_50. dead. 2014-11-17. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of. Korea.
- Web site: South Korea-South Africa Relations. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117164322/http://zaf.mofa.go.kr/webmodule/common/download.jsp?boardid=15140&tablename=TYPE_ENGLEGATIO&seqno=02cfc9044ffb03e05c07c019&fileseq=012fe9fba029fc3f9d07d029. dead. 17 November 2014. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of South Africa. 6 April 2015. 7 October 2016.