1946 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1946 in South Africa.

← 1945 1944 1943 1946 in South Africa → 1947 1948 1949
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George VI.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet (until 1 January), Gideon Brand van Zyl (starting 1 January).
• Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
• Chief Justice: Ernest Frederick Watermeyer.

Events

January

• 1 – Gideon Brand van Zyl is appointed the 9th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.

March

• 12 – The South African Indian Congress delegation is received by the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, in Delhi, India, and submits a petition drafted in consultation with Mohandas Gandhi.
• 12 – The Indian Representative Act is repealed.
• 12 – India terminates the trade agreement with South Africa.
• 15 – The Asiatic Land Tenure Act, the "Ghetto Act", is amended to state that Indians may only live where Indians had resided in non-proclaimed areas.
• 31 – 6,000 Indians march in Durban in protest to the Asiatic Land Tenure Act.

April

• 16 – The Eureka Diamond, the first diamond discovered in South Africa, is sold in London for £5,700.

June

• 11 – India recalls its High Commissioner from South Africa.
• 22 – During a prayer meeting in New Delhi, India, Mahatma Gandhi calls for South Africa to stop hooliganism by whites.
• 23 – A group of white men attack and assault a group of Indian Passive Resisters.[1]

July

• 8 – Indian protests against government legislation lead to the arrest of hundreds of Indians.

Births

• 8 January – Whitey Basson, businessman and billionaire, former CEO of Shoprite (South Africa)
• 18 January – Jakes Gerwel, academic and politician. (d. 2012)
• 15 September – Mike Procter, cricketer
• 18 December – Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist. (d. 1977)

Deaths

• 13 April – William Henry Bell, musician, composer and first director of the South African College of Music. (b. 1873)

Railways

Class GEA

Railway lines opened

• 1 June – Transvaal: Ogies to Vandyksdrif, 21 miles 30 chains (34.4 kilometres).[2]

Locomotives

• The South African Railways places the first of fifty Class GEA 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt articulated steam locomotives in service.[3][4][5]

References

1. Indian passive resistance in South Africa: 1946 – 1948 (Accessed on 4 April 2017)
2. 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
3. Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 103–105. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.
4. Hamilton, Gavin N., The Garratt Locomotive - Garratt Locomotives produced by Beyer, Peacock, retrieved 10 November 2012
5. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.