1916 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1916 in South Africa.

← 1915 1914 1913 1916 in South Africa → 1917 1918 1919
Decades:	1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Buxton.[1]
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes

Events

February

• 12 – In the Battle of Salaita Hill, South African and other British Empire troops fail to take a German East African defensive position.

July

• 14-16 – During the Battle of Delville Wood, 766 men from the South African Brigade are killed in South Africa's biggest loss in the First World War.

September

• 4 – Dar es Salaam surrenders to British Empire forces.

Births

• 12 January – P.W. Botha, politician, Prime Minister and State President. (d. 2006)
• 28 March – Abraham Manie Adelstein, South African-born Chief Medical Statistician of the United Kingdom. (d. 1992)
• 1 July – Thomas Hamilton-Brown, boxer.

Deaths

• 5 June – The Earl Kitchener, British military commander during the Second Boer War. (b. 1850)
• 28 November – Martinus Theunis Steyn, last State President of the Orange Free State. (b. 1857)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 18 February – Transvaal – Morgenzon to Amersfoort, 27 miles 72 chains (44.9 kilometres).[2]
• 25 May – Natal – Boughton to Cedara deviation, 11 miles 65 chains (19.0 kilometres).[2]
• 5 June – Transvaal – Volksrust to Amersfoort, 50 miles 37 chains (81.2 kilometres).[2]
• 30 June – Free State – Aliwal North (Cape) to Zastron, 55 miles 33 chains (89.2 kilometres).[2]
• 31 July – Free State – Vierfontein to Bothaville, 23 miles 6 chains (37.1 kilometres).[2]
• 18 September – Cape – Idutywa to Umtata, 71 miles 13 chains (114.5 kilometres).[2]
• 2 October – Cape – Williston to Kootjieskolk, 38 miles 57 chains (62.3 kilometres).[2]
• 18 October – Transvaal – Delareyville to Pudimoe (Cape), 79 miles 2 chains (127.2 kilometres).[2]

Class NG10

• November – Cape – Ascot to Tygerberg, 1 mile (1.6 kilometres).[2]
• 24 November – Natal – Donnybrook to Underberg, 38 miles 69 chains (62.5 kilometres).[2]

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places six Class NG10 4-6-2 Pacific type steam locomotives in service on the Langkloof narrow gauge line.[3]

References

1. Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Governors-General: 1910-1961 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
2. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 188, ref. no. 200954-13
3. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 104–105. ISBN 0869772112.