The following lists events that happened during 1989 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 ...

: **

P.W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha, (; 12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006), commonly known as P. W. and af, Die Groot Krokodil (The Big Crocodile), was a South African politician. He served as the last prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and ...

(until 15 August).Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994
(Accessed on 14 April 2017) **

F.W. de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (, , 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994 to 1996 in the democratic government. As South A ...

(acting from 15 August, incumbent from 20 September). * Chief Justice: Pieter Jacobus Rabie.

Events

;January * 8 – The African National Congress announces that it will start dismantling its guerrilla camps in Angola in support of the peace process. * 18 – State President

has a mild stroke. * 19 – Chris Heunis, Minister of Constitutional Development and Planning, is appointed Acting State President. * An Eskom sub-station in Glenwood, Durban is damaged by an explosion and police later defuses a second bomb found nearby. * An explosion occurs at the home in Benoni of the chair of the Ministers Council in the House of Delegates. * An explosion occurs at an aircraft factory in

Ciskei Ciskei (, or ) was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people-located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian O ...

. * Two municipal police members are killed in a grenade attack on Katlehong's Municipal Police Station. ;February * 2 – An ailing State President Pieter Willem Botha steps down from the leadership of the National Party, but remains state president. * Trevor Manuel is released from detention under stringent restriction orders. * An explosion at a municipal police barracks in Soweto injures four policemen. * An explosion next to a police parade in Katlehong kills a municipal constable and injures nine others. * A limpet mine explodes at the home of the commander of the Katlehong Police Station, Col. D. Dlamini. ;March * 15–21 – A conference of African National Congress chief representatives and regional treasurers takes place in Gran, Norway. * An explosion occurs outside the

Natal Command Natal Command was a Command of the South African Army. It was headquartered in Durban, South Africa. By the 1980s, it was responsible for the security of the region, forming the primary level of command for military operations in support of the P ...

HQ on Durban's beachfront. ;April * 2 –

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

violates the border war cease-fire by invading South West Africa from Angola and nearly 300 are killed. ;May * 5 – Three South African Embassy staff are ordered to leave Britain within 7 days because of the attempted smuggling of a Blowpipe missile. * The South African Air Force'
Klippan Radar Station
in the Western Transvaal comes under mortar attack. ;June * Four bystanders are injured when a

limpet mine A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets. It is so named because of its superficial similarity to the shape of the limpet, a type of sea snail that clings tightly to rocks or other hard surfaces. A swimmer or diver m ...

explodes under a police vehicle in Duduza. * A limpet mine explodes under a vehicle parked outside a policeman's home in Tsakane. * A grenade is thrown at a police patrol in Tsakane. * A limpet mine explodes in a rubbish bin outside the home of a policeman in Soweto. * A bomb shatters the windows of KwaThema Police station's dining hall. * A limpet mine explodes at the Police single quarters in Ratanda. * A limpet mine explodes at the home of Boetie Abramjee, a National Party MP. ;July * 5 – State President P.W. Botha and

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 ...

, in prison at the time, meet for the first time. * 23 – An explosive device planted at Athlone Magistrate's Court and police complex detonates prematurely, killing two African National Congress members. ;August * 15 – P.W. Botha resigns and F.W. de Klerk succeeds him as acting State President. * A grenade is thrown into a Labour Party polling station in

Bishop Lavis Bishop Lavis is a suburb of Cape Town, located east of the city centre near Cape Town International Airport. It had, as of 2001, a population of 44,419 people, of whom 97% described themselves as Coloured, and 90% spoke Afrikaans while 9% spoke E ...

. * The

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

Flying Squad HQ is attacked with hand grenades and AK-47s. * Lt-Col. Frank Zwane, a former liaison officer for the police, and his two sons are injured in a grenade attack in Soweto. * An explosion occurs at the Athlone Police Station. ;September * 2 – "Purple Rain Protest" rioters in Greenmarket Square, Cape Town are sprayed with a purple dye. The resulting graffiti, " The purple shall govern" graces the pages of newspapers worldwide. * 20 –

becomes the 9th

State President of South Africa 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 ...

. * A police patrol is ambushed by cadres (terrorists) in Katlehong. * A mini-limpet mine explodes outside the Mamelodi Police station. * Parliamentary elections are held and the National Party wins again. * 100,000 people attend a peace march called by Cape Town city mayor Gordon Oliver in conjunction with religious leaders. ;October * 15 – Ahmed Kathrada, Jafta Masemola, Raymond Mhlaba, Wilton Mkwayi, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi, Oscar Mpetha and Walter Sisulu were released from custody of Apartheid government after some spending more than two decades in prison of Robben Island and other prisons. * A bomb explodes outside the BP centre in Cape Town and another at Woodstock minutes later. ;November * 27 – The Hex River Tunnels system is officially opened. The system's longest tunnel at long is the longest railway tunnel in Africa.South African Panorama, October 1989, p. 25 ;Unknown date * The Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Game Reserves are joined through the Corridor Reserve as the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. * The government starts dismantling its six nuclear fission devices.

Births

* 15 January –

Akhumzi Jezile Akhumzi Jezile (15 January 1989 – 28 April 2018) born in Ngcobo, was a South African actor, television presenter and producer. He is best known for being a presenter on the SABC 1 television show, ''YOTV'' and an actor in the SABC 1 drama seri ...

, actor, television presenter and producer (d. 2018) * 15 January – Kylie Louw, footballer * 21 January –

Brady Barends Brady Barends (born 21 January 1989) is a South African first-class cricketer. He was included in the North West cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2017–18 Sunfoil 3-Day Cup for North West, wi ...

, cricketer * 4 February – Nkosi Johnson, HIV/AIDS (d. 2001) * 10 February – Simon Harmer, cricketer * 22 February – JJ Engelbrecht, rugby player * 24 February – Lauren Brant; Australian entertainer * 9 March – Carina Horn, sprinter * 9 March – Luthando Shosha, tv presenter & radio personality * 22 March –

Coenie Oosthuizen Coenraad Victor Oosthuizen (born 22 March 1989), nicknamed 'Coenie' or 'Shrek',http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/article1067479.ece/30-Seconds-with-Cheetahs-prop-Coenie-Oosthuizen TimesLive: 30 Seconds with Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen ...

, rugby player * 24 March – Jennifer Fry, badminton player * 4 April –

Dane Paterson Dane Paterson (born 4 April 1989) is a South African cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in 2017. He plays for Eastern Province in domestic matches. Domestic career He was included in the Western Provin ...

, cricketer * 13 April –

Gerhard van den Heever Gerhard Jacobus van den Heever (born 13 April 1989) is a South African-born Japanese rugby union player for the in Super Rugby and Kubota Spears in the Top League. His regular playing position is as a wing. Education Van den Heever attend ...

, rugby union player * 28 April –

Alistair Vermaak Alistair Fernando Vermaak (born 28 April 1989) is a South African professional rugby union player for the in Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup and in the Rugby Challenge. His regular position is prop. Career Youth At youth level, Vermaak ...

, rugby union player * 4 May –

Trevor Nyakane Trevor Ntando Nyakane (born 4 May 1989) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for Racing 92 in the French Top14, and also the South Africa national rugby team, His regular playing position is prop and he has the ab ...

, rugby player * 11 May –

Ashleigh Buhai Ashleigh Ann Buhai (née Simon, born 11 May 1989) is a South African professional golfer, who won the 2022 Women's Open, one of the major championships in women's golf. Amateur career Buhai had a successful amateur career. She was the younge ...

, golfer * 14 May – Melinda Bam, beauty pageant contestant and model * 2 June – Dean Burmester, golfer * 10 June – David Miller, cricketer * 18 July –

Mandla Masango Mandla Masango (born July 18, 1989) is a South African footballer who most recently played as a right winger for Randers in Denmark. Masango represented South Africa at various youth levels and has been a full international since making his sen ...

, football player * 25 July –

Victor Hogan Victor Hogan (born 25 July 1989) is a South African track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He has a personal best of 67.62m thrown in Stellenbosch at the South African championships making him ten-time South African Champion, ...

, discus thrower * 26 July – Ross Cronjé, rugby union player * 30 July –

Wayne Parnell Wayne Dillon Parnell (born 30 July 1989) is a South African professional cricketer who most recently played for Northamptonshire in English county cricket. Previously, Parnell played Test cricket, One Day International cricket and Twenty20 matc ...

, cricketer * 2 August – Vanes-Mari Du Toit, netball player * 2 August –

Rudy Paige Rudy Paige (born 2 August 1989) is a South African rugby union player for in the French Top 14. His usual position is scrum-half. Career Youth level Paige played for at various youth tournaments, but moved to the in 2007. Golden Lions Paig ...

, rugby player * 3 August –

Themba Zwane Themba Zwane (born 3 August 1989) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns and the South Africa. Honours At Mamelodi Sundowns Domestic *South African ...

, football player * 5 August – Darren Keet, footballer * 9 August – Lunga Shabalala, actor & tv personality. * 18 August – Willie le Roux, rugby player * 13 September –

Jurgen Visser Petrus Jurgen Visser (born 13 September 1989) is a South African rugby union footballer whose usual position is full back. He represented in 2010 before moving to Pretoria, where he played for the in the domestic Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup c ...

, rugby union player * 4 October – Madoda Yako, rugby union player * 9 October – Rilee Rossouw, cricketer * 25 October – Lejeanne Marais, figure skater * 6 November –

Cherise Taylor Cherise Willeit (née Taylor, previously Stander; born 6 November 1989) is a South African professional road cyclist. She has won a single African and four South African championship titles, in both the road race and the time trial, and later re ...

, road cyclist * 18 December –

Thulani Hlatshwayo Thulani Tyson Hlatshwayo (born 18 December 1989) is a South African professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Supersport United and South Africa national soccer team, Bafana Ba ...

South africa national football team The South Africa national soccer team represents South Africa in men's international Association football, soccer and it is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for Soccer in South Africa. The team's nickname is Baf ...

captain * 25 December – Pat O'Brien, rugby union player * 29 December –

Sibusiso Vilakazi Sibusiso Vilakazi (born 29 December 1989) is a South African soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for TS Galaxy in the Premier Soccer League. In the 2013–14 Premier Soccer League season, he won the player of the season and play ...

, football player

Deaths

* 1 May – David Webster, academic and activist. (b. 1944) * 22 May –

Steven De Groote Steven De Groote (12 January 1953 – 22 May 1989) was a South African classical pianist. Steven De Groote was born in Johannesburg, South Africa into a Belgian family in which, for three generations, almost every member had been a profes ...

, classical pianist. (b. 1953) * 12 September – Anton Lubowski, advocate and secretary-general of

. (b. 1952)

Railways

SAR Class NG G16A 141 & 155 (2-6-2+2-6-2)

Locomotives

* A Class

2-6-2+2-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, is an articulated locomotive using a pair of power units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. The 2-6-2 wheel arrangement ha ...

Garratt A Garratt (often referred to as a Beyer Garratt) is a type of steam locomotive invented by British engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge ...

articulated steam locomotive is rebuilt to Class NG G16A by the

Alfred County Railway Alfred County Railway is an abandoned narrow gauge railway in South Africa, which runs from the southern transport hub of Port Shepstone on the Indian Ocean, via Izotsha and Paddock for to Harding, KwaZulu-Natal. Background South Africa, ...

.Information supplied by Phil Girdlestone * The South African Railways places the first of twenty-five Class 10E2 electric locomotives with a Co-Co wheel arrangement in mainline service.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

Athletics

* 25 February –

Willie Mtolo William Bhekizizwe Mtolo (born May 5, 1964) is a South African former long-distance runner who mainly competed in marathons. He is a former New York Marathon winner and two-time runner-up of the Comrades Marathon. He represented his country at the ...

wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:13 in

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

References

{{Africa topic, 1989 in, state=collapsed South Africa Years in South Africa History of South Africa