1878 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1878 in South Africa.

← 1877 1876 1875 1878 in South Africa → 1879 1880 1881
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
• Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
• State President of the South African Republic: Thomas François Burgers.
• Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.

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 [1][2]

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.[3]

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).[4]
• 1 August – Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart, 48 miles 70 chains (78.7 kilometres).[5]
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne, 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 kilometres).[5]
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – East London to Landing Jetty, 1 mile 58 chains (2.8 kilometres).[5]
• 4 September – Natal – Durban to Pinetown, 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).[6]

CGR 0-4-0ST Aid

• 4 November – Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Grootfontein, 86 miles 49 chains (139.4 kilometres).[5]

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.[7]

References

1. Kruger, D.W. (ed)(1972). Dictionary of South African Biography, Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council, v. 3, p. 661.
2. http://www.portstjohns.org.za/history.htm
3. "V muzeu Emila Holuba se ukrýval kapský lev". Novinky.cz (in Czech). 22 May 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
4. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13
5. Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
6. The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 16.
7. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 13–14, 18. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.