2006 in South Africa explained
The following lists events that happened during 2006 in South Africa.
Incumbents
The Cabinet, together with the President and the Deputy President, forms part of the Executive.
See main article: article and Second Cabinet of Thabo Mbeki.
See main article: article and Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (South Africa).
See main article: article and 24th South African Parliament.
Events
- January
- 10 - Three miners are killed and four others are injured when a magnitude 2.4 earthquake traps twelve miners underground at the TauTona gold mine near Carletonville.
- 26–28 - A large fire breaks out on the slopes of Table Mountain, taking one life.
- February
- 18–23 - The Koeberg nuclear power station automatically disconnects from the national power grid after when a loose bolt damages a rotor, leaving large parts of the Western Cape without electricity supply. Load shedding in the form of erratic rolling blackouts persist during the week, causing around R500 billion in losses to industry, according to some estimates.
- March
- 1 - Local government elections are held.
- 5 - Tsotsi wins the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.
- 8 - David Goldblatt is awarded the Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography.
- 13 - The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) starts a week-long national strike over the restructuring of Transnet.
- 14 - Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, addresses parliament in Cape Town urging African leaders to improve conditions in Africa.
- 14–15 - Members of the South African Students' Congress (Sasco) and African National Congress Youth League stage violent protests at the North-West University's Mafikeng campus over the exclusion of some students because of unpaid fees.
- 23 - Eight miners are trapped underground when a fire breaks out at the Buffelsfontein mine in Stilfontein.
- 23–24 - About 150,000 security guards go on a two-day nationwide strike, but continues into April and May.
- 25 - R69,000,000 (US$11.39m) is stolen in a cash heist from a South African Airways aircraft at Johannesburg International Airport.
- 27 - 5,000 Telkom workers stage a protest march against Telkoms's profit-sharing scheme in Pretoria.
- 30 - Six South Africans die when the al-Dana, a motorised dhow, sinks off Manama, Bahrain.
- April
- 3 - Herman van Rooyen and Rudi Gouws, two Boeremag treason trial accused, escape from the Pretoria High Court.
- 3 - The Alexandros T, a Greek bulk carrier, sinks about 300nmi east of Port Elizabeth.
- 4 – A senior policeman goes on a shooting rampage, killing three women and a baby in Tarlton, before killing four officers at Kagiso police station in Krugersdorp. After fleeing in a police car, the gunman is tracked to Sebokeng, where he is shot dead by police colleagues.[2]
- 6 - A giant rotor to replace the damaged rotor at Koeberg nuclear power station arrives in Cape Town on board the South African Navy's replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg (A301).
- 24 - The first of four South African Air Force Super Lynx 300 helicopters flies at AgustaWestland's Yeovil factory in England.
- 25 – The case against the owner of a dry-cleaning business and five others is dismissed in the Vereeniging court. They were accused of murdering employees Constance Moeletsi, Victoria Ndweni and Jocelyn Lesito, who were allegedly forced into a washing machine that was then switched on.[3]
- May
- June
- July
- September
- October
- 7 - The Marriage Alliance protests in Pretoria against same-sex marriage.
- 12 - Herschelle Gibbs, cricketer, is questioned by the New Delhi police in Mumbai, India in connection with his alleged role in a 2000 cricket match-fixing scandal.
- 16 - South Africa is selected for the first time as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2007–2008 period.
- November
Deaths
- 18 January - Anton Rupert, billionaire businessman and philanthropist. (b. 1916)
- 27 February - Tsakani Mhinga (known as TK), singer and songwriter. (b. 1978)
- 16 April - Brett Goldin, actor (b. 1977)
- 19 April - Ellen Kuzwayo, political activist (b. 1914)
- 7 May - Stella Sigcau, politician, 1st female Prime Minister of the Transkei (b. 1937)
- 8 May - Patrick Ntsoelengoe, football player (b. 1952)
- 21 July - Barry Streek, journalist, political activist, author (b. 1948)
- 23 October - Lebo Mathosa, singer and dancer (b. 1977)
- 31 October - P.W. Botha, former prime minister and state president. (b. 1916)
- 12 November - Jabu Khanyile, musician, lead musician of music group Bayete (b. 1957)
Railways
Locomotives
- April - Transwerk completes the rebuilding of the first of five Class 39-000 Electro-Motive Diesel type GT26CU-3 locomotives for Spoornet from a Class 34-600 locomotive.[7] [8]
Sports
Athletics
See also
Notes and References
- http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/00_1994_td_s.php Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1994-2017
- Web site: Policeman shot by colleagues after rampage . 9 September 2023 . 4 April 2006.
- Web site: SA 'dry-cleaner' case collapses . BBC News . 10 September 2023 . 25 April 2006.
- News: Is Africa open for business?. 1 June 2006 . 8 February 2015.
- News: S Africa robbery ends in carnage . 6 September 2023 . 25 June 2006.
- Web site: Security guards burn to death . 10 September 2023 . 29 September 2006.
- Information supplied by staff at Transnet Rail Engineering, Bloemfontein and Koedoespoort
- 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