1950 in South Africa
Events
- March
- May
- August
- September
- 26 – Sasol (Suid-Afrikaanse Steenkool, Olie en Gaskorporasie Bpk.) is registered as a company.
- October
- November
- December
- 13 – South Africa refuses to place South-West Africa under UN trusteeship.
- 21 – The gold town of Allanridge in the Free State Province is established.
- Unknown date
- Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve is proclaimed a protected state forest.
- H.F. Verwoerd becomes Minister of Native Affairs and implements the forced removal of about 80,000 black Africans from Sophiatown, Martindale and Newclare to Soweto.
- The government passes the Immorality Amendment Act, the Group Areas Act, the Suppression of Communism Act, and the Population Registration Act which officially divides South Africans into 'White', 'Coloured', 'Asian' or 'Native' population groups.
- United States and United Kingdom sign a purchasing agreement with South Africa to supply uranium for their nuclear weapons programmes.
Births
- 2 February – Richard Mzamane Mabaso, artist, is born in Alexandra.
Deaths
- 9 May – Bhawani Sannyassi Dayal, activist and journalist, dies in Ajmer, India.
- 11 September – Jan Smuts dies at the age of 80 on his family farm of Doornkloof, Irene, near Pretoria.
Railways
Railway lines opened
- 2 October – Transvaal: Vandyksdrif to Broodsnyersplaas, 11 miles 73 chains (19.2 kilometres).[1]
Sports
Boxing
- 31 May – Vic Toweel defeats World Bantamweight Champion Manuel Ortiz on points over 15 rounds at Wembley Stadium and becomes the first South African world boxing champion.
British Empire Games
The British Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games), after a 12-year gap, takes place in Auckland from 4 to 11 February. Of the 12 participating countries which include Southern Rhodesia, South African finishes 5th on the medals list, winning 20 medals, 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 8 Bronze. The medal winners are:
- Athletics
- Neville Price – Gold, long jump, distance 7.31 m
- Syd Luyt – Silver, marathon, time 2.37.03
- Tom Lavery – Bronze, 120 yards hurdles, time 14.6 s
- Daphne Robb ; Bronze, 220 yards, time 24.7 s
- Boxing
- Lawn bowls
- Alfred Blumberg, H.Currer, Harry Atkinson and Norman Walker – Gold, fours
- W. Gibb and H.J. van Zyl – Silver, pairs
- Rowing
- Ian Stephen – Bronze, single sculls
- Swimming
- Graham Johnston – Silver, 440 yards freestyle
- Graham Johnston – Gold, 1650 yards freestyle
- Jackie Wild – Gold, 110 yards backstroke
- Joan Harrison – Bronze, 110 yards freestyle
- Joan Harrison – Gold, 440 yards freestyle
- Weightlifting
- Barrie Engelbrecht – Bronze, featherweight
- Issy Bloomberg – Silver, light-heavyweight
- Wrestling
- Patrick Morton – Gold, light-heavyweight
- Martin Jooste – Bronze, welterweight
- Carel Reitz – Bronze, middleweight
Comrades Marathon
Football
- June–July
The Australia national association football team tours South Africa and plays four games against the South Africa national football team.
References
- ↑ 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
1950 in Africa |
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- Algeria
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- Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain)
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