The following lists events that happened during 1974 in South Africa.

Incumbents

State President The State President of the Republic of South Africa ( af, Staatspresident) was the head of state of South Africa from 1961 to 1994. The office was established when the country became a republic on 31 May 1961, albeit, outside the Commonweal ...

Jim Fouché Jacobus Johannes "Jim" Fouché, (6 June 1898 – 23 September 1980Jacobus Johannes Fouch� ...

.Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994
(Accessed on 14 April 2017) *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

: John Vorster. * Chief Justice:

Newton Ogilvie Thompson Newton Ogilvie Thompson (27 May 1904, Kentani, Cape Colony - 1 July 1992, Kenilworth, Cape Town) was a South African jurist who served as the 13th Chief Justice of South Africa, from 1971 to 1974. Early life and education Thompson was born i ...

then Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff.

Events

;January * 4 –

Harry Schwarz Harry Heinz Schwarz (13 May 1924 – 5 February 2010) was a South African lawyer, statesman and long-time political opposition leader against apartheid in South Africa, who eventually served as the South African Ambassador to the United States ...

and Chief Minister of KwaZulu Gatsha Buthelezi sign the

Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith The Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith was a statement of core principles laid down by South African political leaders Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz on 4 January 1974. It was signed in Mahlabatini, KwaZulu-Natal, hence its name. Its purpose ...

. * 11 – David, Elizabeth, Emma, Grant, Jason and Nicolette Rosenkowitz are born in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, the first sextuplets in the world where all six babies survive. ;March * 18 – Members of the

World Council of Churches The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most juri ...

's Executive or Central Committee are banned from South Africa. * 19 – The Narcotics Bureau of the South African Police is established. * 19 – Harry Schwarz and Chief Minister

Cedric Phatudi Dr Cedric Namedi Phatudi (27 May 1912 – 7 October 1987) was the Chief Minister of Lebowa, one of the South African bantustans. Early life Born in Ga-Mphahlele, the son of the chief of the Mphahlele tribe. He earned his basic education in mis ...

of Lebowa sign the

Seshego Seshego is a township in the Polokwane Local Municipality of the Capricorn District Municipality of the Limpopo province of the Republic of South Africa. The township lies directly northwest of the city of Polokwane. History Between 1972 and 197 ...

Declaration. ;April * 24 – A whites only

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

takes place and is won by the National Party. * 25 – A coup in Portugal leads to that country's withdrawal from its colonies in

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

and

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

. ;May * 29 –

Prime Minister of South Africa The prime minister of South Africa ( af, Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika) was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984. History of the office The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of Sout ...

John Vorster and Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith meet and agree to co-operative co-existence with and non-interference in the internal affairs of a black-ruled

. ;June * 5 – The Japanese government announces that South Africans will no longer be granted visas to enter Japan. ;July * 7 –

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

imposes a blanket ban on sports teams from South Africa.South African History Online: New Zealand imposes a blanket ban on sports teams from South Africa
(Accessed on 28 April 2017) ;September * 22–23 –

John Vorster and

President of Côte d'Ivoire This article lists the heads of state of Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, since the country gained independence from France in 1960. Alassane Ouattara has been serving as President of Ivory Coast since 4 December 2010. L ...

Félix Houphouët-Boigny hold talks. ;October * 25 – Pik Botha declares at the United Nations that South Africa is beginning to make far-reaching reforms. ;November * 12 – The United Nations General Assembly suspends South Africa from participating in its work, due to international opposition to the policy of apartheid. South Africa was re-admitted to the UN in 1994 following its transition into a democracy. * 26 –

Anneline Kriel Anneline Kriel (born 28 July 1955) is a South African actress, model, and beauty queen. She won Miss South Africa and Miss World in 1974 after the UK's Helen Morgan resigned only four days after her victory. Kriel is the second South African w ...

is crowned as

Miss World 1974 Miss World 1974, the 24th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 22 November 1974 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom. The event was viewed by an estimated 30 million people, and was a "Wide World Special" on the ABC Tel ...

, the second South African to hold the title after Penny Coelen in 1958, when

Helen Morgan Helen Morgan may refer to: *Helen Morgan (singer) Helen Morgan (née Riggins; August 2, 1900 – October 9, 1941) was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage. A quintessential torch singer, she made a big splash in ...

resigns four days after winning the 24th Miss World pageant. ;Unknown date * The Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line is opened.

Births

* 4 January –

Sindi Dlathu Sindiswa Dlathu (born January 4, 1974) is a South African people, South African actress and musician. She is well known for portraying Thandaza Mokoena on ''Muvhango'', a role she played from the show's inception in 1997 until her departure in 2 ...

, actress * 2 February –

André Snyman Andries Hendrik Snyman (born 2 February 1974) is a South African rugby union former player and current coach. His usual position was inside centre, but he had success on the wing at international level. Snyman earned 38 test caps for the South ...

, rugby player * 7 February –

Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...

, South African-born Canadian basketball player * 23 February –

Herschelle Gibbs Herschelle Herman Gibbs (born 23 February 1974) is a South African cricket coach and former cricketer, who played all formats of the game for fourteen years. A right-handed batsman, mostly opened the batting, Gibbs became the first player to hi ...

, cricketer * 23 February –

Robbi Kempson Robert Bruce Kempson (born 23 February 1974 in Queenstown, South Africa) is a South African former rugby union footballer, and the Director of High Performance and interim head coach of the in Pro14. He played rugby between 1994 and 2003 fo ...

, rugby player * 5 March – Megan Hall, triathlete * 14 March –

Mark Fish Mark Anthony Fish (born 14 March 1974) is a retired South African footballer who played as a defender. Club career Born in Cape Town, Fish started his career in his native South Africa under the guidance of renowned coach Steve Coetsee, play ...

, soccer player * 15 March – Percy Montgomery, Springbok rugby player * 16 March –

Brian Baloyi Brian Baloyi (born 16 March 1974) is a retired South African association football goalkeeper. Baloyi made his professional debut in 1993. He joined league rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in 2004 after playing for Kaizer Chiefs for over a decade. He i ...

, soccer player * 27 March –

George Koumantarakis Georgios "George" Koumantarakis (born 27 March 1974) is a South African former soccer player of Greek descent. He was born in Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and lar ...

, football player * 29 March –

Basetsana Kumalo Basetsana Julia "Bassie" Kumalo (née Makgalemele; born 29 March 1974) is a South African television personality, beauty pageant titleholder, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Her career began in 1990 when she was crowned Miss Soweto and Miss B ...

, first runner-up in Miss World 1994, businesswoman, tv personality * 13 April –

K. Sello Duiker Kabelo Sello Duiker (13 April 1974 – 19 January 2005) was a South African novelist. His debut novel, '' Thirteen Cents'', won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, Africa Region. His second novel, ''The Quiet Violence of Dre ...

, novelist (d. 2005) * 21 April –

Tony Kgoroge Tony Kgoroge (born 21 April 1974) is a South African actor. He is best known for his performance as Jason Tshabalala in ''Invictus''. He also stars as Zimele "Ngcolosi" Bhengu on e.tv's soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a vari ...

, actor * 21 April – Mandla Mandela, chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council and the grandson of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

* 26 April –

Louise Barnes Louise Barnes (born 26 April 1974) is a South African actress. Barnes gained recognition in South Africa for various roles in locally produced films and television series'. She is best known for her role in the 2009 South African/UK horror film ...

, actress * 11 June –

Ricardo Loubscher Ricardo Ian Peter Loubscher, born 11 June 1974 in Colesberg (South Africa), is former a South African rugby union player, who played for South Africa 4 times between 2002 and 2003, his last coming during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He played for the S ...

, rugby player * 22 June –

Alfred Phiri Alfred Maimane Phiri (born 22 June 1974 in Alexandra) is a South African Association football midfielder who last played for Moroka Swallows. He spent six seasons in Turkey playing mostly for Gençlerbirliği (Turkey), but also for Vanspor a ...

, soccer player * 26 June –

Cyril Nzama Cyril "Skhokho" Nzama (born 26 June 1974 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a retired South African football (soccer) defender who last played for Batau FC. Nzama made 44 appearances for the South African national football team from 2000 to 2007. He was ...

, soccer player * 29 June –

Judith Sephuma Judith Sephuma (born 29 June 1974) is a South African jazz and Afro-pop singer. Biography Born in Seshego, she was raised in Polokwane, Limpopo, and moved to Cape Town in 1994 to study as a jazz vocalist. In 1997, she graduated from the Univer ...

, singer * 30 June –

Hezekiél Sepeng Hezekiél Sello Sepeng (born 30 June 1974), is a South African middle distance runner who won silver in the Olympic 800 metres final in Atlanta 1996 (behind Vebjørn Rodal), the 1998 Commonwealth Games (behind Japheth Kimutai) and the World C ...

, middle-distance athlete * 11 July –

Michelle Claire Edwards Michelle Claire Edwards (born 11 July 1974) is a South African badminton player. Career Edwards played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics, losing to Aparna Popat of India in the round of 32 in the women's singles. In the women's doubles, Ed ...

, badminton player * 17 July – Linda Sibiya, radio, television personality and motivational speaker * 26 September –

Ninja (Die Antwoord) Watkin Tudor Jones (born 26 September 1974), better known by his stage names Ninja and Max Normal, is a South African rapper, songwriter, record producer, performance artist, and director. Jones found international success as a member of Die An ...

, recording artist, rapper, record producer and actor * 27 October –

Thabo Mooki Thabo Mooki affectionately nicknamed Tsiki-Tsiki (born 22 October 1974 in Soweto, Gauteng) is a retired South African association football midfielder who spent all his professional career with Premier Soccer League club Kaizer Chiefs. He also ...

, soccer player * 8 November –

Penny Heyns Penelope ("Penny") Heyns OIS (born 8 November 1974) is a South African former swimmer, who is best known for being the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events – at the 1996 Atlan ...

, breast-stroke swimmer * 17 December –

Charl Langeveldt Charl Kenneth Langeveldt (born 17 December 1974) is a South African cricket coach and former cricketer who is currently a bowling coach with the South Africa national cricket team. As a cricket player, he played all formats of the game. A right ...

, cricketer

Deaths

* 1 February –

Abram Onkgopotse Tiro Onkgopotse Tiro (9 November 1945 – 1 February 1974) was a South African student activist and black consciousness militant. He was born in Dinokana, a small village near Zeerust. He was expelled from the University of the North (now known as Un ...

, militant student leader. (b. 1947) * 2 February – Thomas Sturgess, an Indian cricketer, dies in Cape Town (b. 1898) * 22 March – Peter Revson, American race car driver, died in pre-race crash at the

South African Grand Prix The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Richard "Dick" Seaman, Richa ...

in Midrand. (b. 1939) * 3 April – Ossie Newton-Thompson, cricketer and politician. (b. 1920) * 20 May –

Leontine Sagan Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was an Austrian-Hungarian theatre director and actress of Jewish descent. She is best known for directing ''Mädchen in Uniform'' (1931). Along with directing for ...

, director and actress. (b. 1889) * 28 May –

Matthew Frew Air Vice Marshal Sir Matthew Brown Frew, (7 April 1895 – 28 May 1974) was a Scottish First World War flying ace, credited with 23 aerial victories, who went on to serve as a senior officer in the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force d ...

, Air Vice Marshal of the South African Air Force, died in Pretoria. (b. 1895) SAR Class 6E1 Series 5 E1592

Railways

Locomotives

* Three new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways: ** The first of one hundred , Series 5 electric locomotives. ** November – The first of 150 Class 35-200 General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD) type GT18MC diesel-electric locomotives. ** December – The first of 100 Class 34-600 GM-EMD type GT26MC diesel-electric locomotives. * ISCOR places the first of forty-four Class 34-500 General Electric type U26C diesel-electric locomotives in service on the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore line.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

Sports

* 6 May – The British and Irish Lions begin a controversial twenty-two match

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

tour of South Africa and

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

References

{{Year in Africa, 1974, state=collapsed

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Years in South Africa History of South Africa