1883 in South Africa explained

The following lists events that happened during 1883 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
• 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: Triumviate of Paul Kruger, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius and Piet Joubert (until 9 May), Paul Kruger (starting 9 May).
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Thomas Charles Scanlen.

Events

April

• 16  - Paul Kruger is re-elected president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.

May

• 9  - Paul Kruger is sworn in as president of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek.

July

• 22  - Zulu King Cetshwayo barely escapes with his life in a rebel attack.

August

• 6  - The United States of Stellaland is established when the Republics of Stellaland and Goshen unite.
• 12  - The last Quagga in the world dies in captivity at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam, making the species extinct.

Births

• February  - Z. D. Mangoaela, Basotho folklorist and writer (d. 1963)
• 6 August  - Constance Georgina Adams, botanist (d. 1968)^[1]

Deaths

• 9 August  - Robert Moffat, Scottish Congregationalist missionary. Died in Leigh near Tunbridge Wells, England.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 5 May  - Cape Western  - Muizenberg to Kalkbaai, 1miles.^[2]
• 14 May  - Cape Western  - Beaufort West to Victoria West Road, 80miles.^[2]
• 15 October  - Cape Eastern  - Queenstown to Sterkstroom, 35miles.^[2]
• 16 October  - Cape Midland  - Cradock to Colesberg, 126miles.^[2]

Locomotives

• Eighteen 3rd Class 4-4-0 tender passenger locomotives are delivered to the Cape Government Railways from Neilson and Company and placed in passenger service out of Cape Town, East London and Port Elizabeth respectively.

Notes and References

1. Book: Rall, Maureen . Petticoat Pioneers: The History of the Pioneer Women who Lived on the Diamond Fields in the Early Years. Kimberley, South Africa . Kimberley Africana Library . 2002 . 117 . 978-0-62027-613-9.
2. 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 31 December 1909.