1940 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1940 in South Africa.

← 1939 1938 1937 1940 in South Africa → 1941 1942 1943
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George VI.
• Governor-General : Sir Patrick Duncan
• Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
• Chief Justice: James Stratford.

Events

January

• 27 – A peace resolution introduced in the Parliament of South Africa is defeated 81–59.
• 29 – The Herenigde Nasionale Party is established.

June

• 11 – The Union of South Africa declares war on Italy.

December

• 3 – The Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Renown and aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal arrive at Cape Town.

Births

Flag of South Africa

• 19 January – Barend du Plessis, government minister
• 31 January – Kitch Christie, Springbok rugby coach. (d. 1998)
• 9 February 9 – J. M. Coetzee, writer and 2003 Nobel Prize laureate.
• 22 February – Johnson Mlambo, Pan Africanist Congress politician.
• 8 March – Fred Brownell, herald, designer of the Flag of South Africa.[1][2]
• 6 June – Tiger Lance, cricketer. (d. 2010)
• 9 October – Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician. (d. 2009)
• 21 October – Manfred Mann, South African-British rock musician.

Deaths

• 1 June – Jan F. E. Celliers, poet, writer and dramatist. (b. 1865)
• 10 August – Abe Bailey, diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer. (b. 1864)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 12 January – Transvaal: Crown to Langlaagte, 3 miles 18 chains (5.2 kilometres).[3]
• 2 December – Transvaal: Germiston to Jupiter, 2 miles 68 chains (4.6 kilometres).[3]

References

1. "Fred Brownell: The man who made South Africa's flag". BBC News. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
2. Faulkner 2014, p. 92. sfn error: no target: CITEREFFaulkner2014 (help)
3. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 191, ref. no. 200954-13