1975 in South Africa explained

The following lists events that happened during 1975 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• State President:
  • Jim Fouché (until 8 April).^[1]
  • Jan de Klerk (acting from 9 to 18 April).^[1]
  • Nico Diederichs (from 19 April).^[1]
• Prime Minister: John Vorster.
• Chief Justice: Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff.

Events

February

• 28  - The FNLA approaches the South African Embassy in London and requests 40 to 50 artillery pieces to assist their cause in the Angolan Civil War.

March

• 15  - Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and senior Ministers visit South Africa for talks.
• 19  - The Labour Party wins the second elections to the Coloured Persons' Representative Council.
• 21  - The Inkatha National Cultural Liberation Movement (Inkatha Yenkululeko Yezizwe) is founded by Zulu Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
• 27  - The government announces that it will consolidate the 113 separate homeland areas into 36.

April

• 19  - Nico Diederichs becomes the 4th State President of South Africa.^[1]
• 30  - The World Meteorological Organization suspends South Africa from membership because of racial discrimination.

May

• 6  - The government announces that it will provide all Black children with free and compulsory education.

June

• 25  - The People's Republic of Mozambique becomes independent from Portugal.

July

• The Progressive Party merges with the Reform Party, a faction of the United Party, to form the Progressive Reform Party.

August

• 25  - The Victoria Falls Conference between Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith and the United African National Council is held in a South African Railways coach on the Victoria Falls Bridge, officiated by Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda and South African Prime Minister John Vorster.
• The first Cuban forces arrive in Angola to join Russian personnel who are there to assist the MPLA who controls less than a quarter of Angolan territory.
• The United States and Zaire request South Africa to provide training and support for the FNLA and UNITA.

September

• 24  - Majors Kaas van der Wals and Holtzhausen, SADF liaison officers, are sent to Angola to assist UNITA.

October

• 14  - The SADF invades Angola during Operation Savannah in support of the FNLA and UNITA prior to the Angolan elections scheduled for 11 November.^[2]

November

• 11  - The People's Republic of Angola becomes independent from Portugal.
• 13–28  - In the Battle for Ebo, SADF and Angolan forces clash at Ebo in the Cuanza Sul province of Angola.
• 19  - The United States Congress approves the Clark Amendment, ending aid to the FNLA and UNITA.
• 25  - A South African Air Force Cessna 185 is shot down south of Ebo, killing pilot 2nd Lieutenant Keith Williamson, co-pilot 2nd Lieutenant Eric Thompson and South African Army battalion third-in-command Captain Danie Taljaard.
• 28  - South African Navy frigates evacuate 26 SADF members from behind enemy lines at Ambrizete, 1600NaN0 north of Luanda in Angola.

Unknown date

• Lillian Ngoyi's ban, confining her to Orlando Township in Johannesburg and forbidding her to attend any gatherings, is renewed for five years.
• The South West African Police Counter-Insurgency Unit, commonly known as Operation K, is launched.
• Operation Polo, South Africa's covert military intervention in the Rhodesian Bush War, begins.

Births

• 9 January  - André Vos, rugby player
• 29 January  - David Tlale, fashion designer and businessman.
• 2 February  - Thinus Delport, rugby player
• 4 February  - Sthandiwe Kgoroge, actress.
• 21 March  - Corné Krige, rugby player.
• 27 March  - Bruce Jacobs, field hockey player.
• 14 April  - Raymond Seopa, professional footballer.^[3]
• 16 April  - Selborne Boome, rugby player.
• 23 June  - Sibusiso Zuma, soccer player
• 2 July  - Stefan Terblanche, rugby player.
• 7 July  - Louis Koen, rugby player
• 17 July  - Robbie Fleck, rugby player & coach.
• 31 July  - Andrew Hall, cricketer
• 7 August  - Charlize Theron, actress.
• 1 September  - Winnie Ntshaba, actress.
• 11 September  - Pierre Issa, soccer player
• 16 October  - Jacques Kallis, all-rounder cricketer.
• 24 November  - Neil McKenzie, cricketer
• 13 December  - Bubu Mazibuko, actress.
• 17 December  - Tim Clark, golfer.

Deaths

• 21 February  - Pieter Voltelyn Graham van der Byl, politician (b. 1889)
• 8 May  - Bram Fischer, former South African Communist Party leader. (b. 1908)

Railways

Locomotives

• June  - The South African Railways places the first of 124 Class 36-000 General Electric type SG10B diesel-electric locomotives in service.^[4]

Notes and References

1. http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/sa_pres1/ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994
2. Malan, Magnus (2006). My lewe saam met die SA Weermag (1st ed.). Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis. p. 121. .
3. Web site: Raymond Seopa (Player).
4. South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended