1984 in South Africa

← 1983 1982 1981 1984 in South Africa → 1985 1986 1987
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1984 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• State President:
  • Marais Viljoen (until 3 September).^[1]
  • P.W. Botha (from 14 September).^[1]
• Prime Minister: P.W. Botha (until 14 September).
• Pieter Jacobus Rabie
  .

Events

January

• 8 – The South African Defence Force begins withdrawal from southern Angola.
• 16 – The South African Railways inaugurates the MetroBlitz interurban high speed train service between Pretoria and Johannesburg.^[2][3][4]
• 30 – Patrick McCall of the
  Houghton, Johannesburg
  .

• 3 – A bomb destroys the offices of the Ciskei consulate in Durban.
• 23 – An Escom installation in Georgetown is slightly damaged by an explosion.
• 29 – Two bombs explode at
  Mandini
  , one at a sub-station and the other at the police station.

March

• 11 – The
  Ermelo
  is rocked by four explosions and five storage tanks are destroyed.
• 12 – During a skirmish with insurgents, two policemen are seriously injured.
• 16 – South Africa and Mozambique sign the Nkomati Accord, a non-aggression treaty, at Komatipoort.
• 23 – Dorothy Nyembe is released from Kroonstad Prison after serving 15 years.

April

• 3 – The African National Congress denies responsibility after a car bomb explodes on the Victoria Embankment, Durban, killing three and injuring twenty.
• 5 – The
  Botshabelo
  is destroyed by a bomb.
• An insurgent is killed at De Deur.

May

• 2 – South Africa, Mozambique and Portugal sign an agreement on electricity supply from the Cahora Bassa dam.
• 5 – Over 7,000 people attend an
  Afrikaner Volkswag rally in Pretoria
  .
• 12 – A bomb explodes at the Trust Bank in Durban.
• 13 – The Mobil Oil Refinery in Durban comes under RPG-7 attack by Umkhonto we Sizwe insurgents who are all killed afterwards in a running battle with police.
• 16 – Outside the Jabulani Police station in Soweto an explosion destroys two private vehicles belonging to policemen.
• 18 – The railway line near Lenasia is damaged by an explosion.
• 29 – Prime Minister P.W. Botha and minister of foreign affairs Pik Botha visit Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and West Germany.
• Mutineers systematically kill most camp administration members at
  Umkhonto we Sizwe's Pango training camp in Angola
  .

• 21 – An explosion damages a sub-station in Berea, Durban and disrupts electricity supply.
• 28 – Jeannette Schoon and her six-year-old daughter Katryn are killed by a letter bomb at Lubango, Angola.

July

• 9 – South Africa signs the amendment of the
  International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
  .
• 12 – One policeman is killed and one is injured when their vehicle is attacked in Jabulani.
• 28 – The South African Railways Police charge office in KwaMashu, Durban is attacked with hand grenades.

August

• 3 – A guerrilla is killed in the
  Ellisras
  area.
• 7 – Tshabalala Dry Cleaners in Soweto is extensively damaged by Umkhonto we Sizwe.
• 7 – An Escom sub-station is destroyed in Glenmore, Durban.
• 12 – The Department of Internal Affairs of Johannesburg is hit by an explosion that causes minor damage.
• 16 – Two Limpet mines destroy two floors of the South African Police HQ, Soweto East in Roodepoort, injuring the District Commander, four policemen and two civilians.
• 17 – A guerrilla is killed while resisting arrest in Mapetla.
• 22 – Elections to the new House of Representatives are held.
• 23 – Explosions destroy 4th floor offices of the government in a building in Booysens, Johannesburg.
• 24 – A bomb explodes in Anchor Life Building in Johannesburg, destroying the South African Railways Police regional offices and the Department of Internal Affairs offices.
• 22 – Elections to the new House of Delegates are held.

September

• 3 – A limpet mine placed by Mo Shaik explodes at the Department of Internal Affairs in Johannesburg.
• 3 – A violent march in the Vaal Triangle inaugurates a prolonged township uprising.
• 5 – An explosion destroys an Escom sub-station at
  Bophutatswana
  .
• 13 – A Limpet mine causes damage to a Durban sub-station.
• 14 – The position of Prime Minister is abolished.
• 14 – P.W. Botha is inaugurated as the first executive State President of South Africa.^[1]
• 14 – A bomb explodes at the Department of Community Development in Krugersdorp.

October

• 8 – South Africa,
  Renamo hold talks in Pretoria
  to end the civil war in Mozambique.
• 16 –
  Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
  .

• 11 – A section of railway line near Durban and a goods train are damaged by an explosion.
• 14 – A guerrilla is killed and a policeman is injured in a skirmish in Ingwavuma.
• 18 – Foreign minister Pik Botha and President of Somalia Siad Barre hold talks in Mogadishu.
• 25 – Another guerrilla is killed in Ingwavuma.

Births

• 21 January – Aaron Phangiso, cricketer
• 24 January –
  South Africa national football team
  captain (d. 2014)
• 29 January – Natalie du Toit, amputee swimmer
• 2 February – Thembinkosi Fanteni, football player
• 17 February – AB de Villiers, cricketer
• 20 February – Trevor Noah, comedian, actor and television personality
• 26 February – Minki van der Westhuizen, model and television presenter
• 4 March – Jeremy Loops, singer
• 5 March – Lindani Nkosi, actor
• 7 March – Lonwabo Tsotsobe, cricketer
• 10 March – Ruan Pienaar, rugby player
• 6 April – Siboniso Gaxa, football player
• 6 April – Mario Morgan, philosopher
• 14 April – JP Duminy, cricketer
• 11 May – Willem Alberts, rugby player
• 20 May – Duduzane Zuma, businessman, son of the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma
• 22 May – Bismarck du Plessis, rugby player
• 6 June – Atandwa Kani, actor, son of actor John Kani
• 16 June – Zane Kirchner, rugby player
• 11 July – Morné Steyn, rugby player
• 13 July – Faf du Plessis, South Africa national cricket team captain
• 15 August – Peter Grant (rugby union), rugby player
• 28 August – Darian Townsend, swimmer, Olympic gold medalist
• 31 August – Charl Schwartzel, golfer
• 7 September – Letoya Makhene, singer & actress
• 25 September – Siphiwe Tshabalala, football player
• 1 October – Abigail Pietersen, figure skater
• 3 October – Thabo Nthethe, football player
• 6 October – Morné Morkel, cricketer
• 8 October – Tansey Coetzee, Miss South Africa 2007
• 14 October – Amalia Uys, actress
• 19 October –
  Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards
  .
• 11 November – Kelly Khumalo, singer, actress and dancer
• 24 November – Kagisho Dikgacoi, football player
• 29 November – Katlego Mphela, football player
• 1 December – Yolandi Visser, rapper, female vocalist in the rap-rave group Die Antwoord
• 2 December – Sjava, singer, rapper, actor
• 27 December –
  Gail Mabalane
  , actress

Deaths

• March – John Fairbairn, naval officer, (b. 1912)

Railways

Locomotives

Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the

• The first of forty-five Class 6E1, Series 11 electric locomotives. These are the last of altogether 960 Class 6E1 locomotives to be built.^[5][6]
• The first of twenty-five 25 kV AC Class 7E3, Series 2 electric locomotives.^[5][7][8]

Sports

Athletics

• 31 March – Ernest Seleke wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:09:41 in
  Port Elizabeth
  .
• 11 August – Barefoot runner Zola Budd and Mary Decker of the United States collide in the Olympic 3,000 meters final and neither finish as medallist.^[9]

Motorsport

• 7 April – The South African Grand Prix takes place at Kyalami.

References