The following lists events that happened during 2003 in South Africa.

Incumbents

* President: Thabo Mbeki.Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1994-2017
(Accessed on 5 June 2017) *

Deputy President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

. * Chief Justice: Arthur Chaskalson.

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

The Cabinet, together with the President and the

, forms part of the Executive.

National Assembly

Provincial Premiers

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

Province: Makhenkesi Stofile * Free State Province:

Winkie Direko Isabella Winkie Direko (27 November 192917 February 2012) was a South African politician born in the Free State (province), Free State province of South Africa. She was a member of the African National Congress and served as Premier of the Free S ...

* Gauteng Province: Mbhazima Shilowa *

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

Province: Lionel Mtshali * Limpopo Province: Ngoako Ramathlodi *

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

Province: Ndaweni Mahlangu * North West Province: Popo Molefe *

Northern Cape The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of the Kgalagadi T ...

Province:

Manne Dipico Manne Emsley Dipico, first Premier of the Northern Cape Province, South Africa, was born in Kimberley on 21 April 1959. He was appointed Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) in 2006. He is Chairman of Ponahalo Holding ...

* Western Cape Province: Marthinus van Schalkwyk

Events

;January * 8 – Unit 2 power generator explodes at

Duvha Power Station Duvha Power Station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, is a coal-fired power plant operated by Eskom. The tall chimneys at Duvha are the second and third tallest structures in Africa, only a chimney located at the Secunda CTL plant is taller. Histor ...

while coming back on line after maintenance. * 17 –

, Deputy President of South Africa, holds ceasefire talks with

Pierre Nkurunziza Pierre Nkurunziza (18 December 19648 June 2020) was a Burundian politician who served as the ninth president of Burundi for almost 15 years from August 2005 until his death in June 2020. A member of the Hutu ethnic group, Nkurunziza taught ph ...

, the leader of a faction of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD). * 21 – Jacob Zuma holds ceasefire talks with Alain Mugabarabona, the leader of the

Palipehutu-FNL The National Forces of Liberation (french: Forces nationales de libération, or FNL) is a political party and former rebel group in Burundi. An ethnic Hutu group, the party was previously known as the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People ( ...

and Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye, the leader of the other faction of CNDD-FDD. * 24 – The Inkwazi, the South African Air Force

Boeing Business Jet Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) are versions of Boeing's jet airliners with modifications to serve the private, head of state and corporate jet market. In 1996, Phil Condit, president of The Boeing Company, and Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of Genera ...

, develops technical problems during its inaugural flight taking President Thabo Mbeki to Paris, France, and has to turn back. * 25–26 – Jacob Zuma facilitates meetings between

Pierre Buyoya Pierre Buyoya (24 November 1949 – 17 December 2020) was a Burundian army officer and politician who served two terms as President of Burundi in 1987 to 1993 and 1996 to 2003. He was the second-longest serving president in Burundian history. An ...

, the President of Burundi and rebels Alain Mugabarabona, Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye and Pierre Nkurunziza in Pretoria. * 27 – Pierre Buyoya, the President of Burundi and Pierre Nkurunziza, leader of a faction of the CNDD-FDD, sign a memorandum of understanding in Pretoria. ;February * 9 Feb- 23 Mar - South Africa co-hosts the ICC Cricket World Cup. Australia are declared champions after beating India in the final. ;March * 21 – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission releases its final report. ;April * 1 – The defence ministers of South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique announce in Addis Ababa that their countries will send 3,500 peace-keeping troops under the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...

flag to

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

within 60 days. * 1 – A South African Air Force Cheetah C fighter jet crashes near

Louis Trichardt Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

with pilot Major Andrea Serra ejecting safely. ;May * 13 – Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang presents her budget speech to the National Assembly, outlining that free health care will be extended to people with disabilities. ;June * 5 – A South African Air Force Oryx helicopter crash lands at Durban International Airport and the crew suffer minor injuries. * 6 –

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma (née Dlamini; born 27 January 1949), sometimes referred to by her initials NDZ, is a South African politician, medical doctor and former anti-apartheid activist. A longstanding member of the African National Cong ...

, Celso Amorim and Yashwant Sinha, foreign ministers of South Africa, Brazil and India, meet in Brasilia, Brazil and sign the Brasilia Declaration. * PJ Powers and

Sibongile Khumalo Sibongile Khumalo (24 September 1957 – 28 January 2021) was a South African singer and song writer. She sang classical, jazz, opera and traditional South African music. She was noted for singing at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 199 ...

are awarded the 2002

Reconciliation Award The South African Institute for Justice and Reconciliation gives an annual Reconciliation Award to an individual, community or organisation in South Africa that has contributed, in one way or another, towards conflict resolution, reconciliation. Thr ...

by the

Institute for Justice and Reconciliation The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) is a non-governmental organisation and think tank based in Cape Town, South Africa. It was forged out of the country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2000. The aim was to ensure that less ...

. * The name of the town

is changed to Makhado. ;July * 31 – SABC shuts down

Bop TV Bop TV was a television station run by the Bophuthatswana Broadcasting Corporation in the former Republic of Bophuthatswana in South Africa. History Commencing operations in 1984, it primarily transmitted imported programmes in an unedited for ...

due to financial constraints. ;August * 3–6 – A National AIDS Conference is held in Durban. * 14 – South Africa signs a contract to acquire four new

Super Lynx The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to ...

helicopters for operation from the new naval corvettes. * 28 – Three parachuted pallets, dropped by a South African Air Force

Casa 212 The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators. The C-212 ...

during a training mission, are blown off course and lands in a residential suburb of Gauteng, causing minor damage. ;September * 7–17 – The 5th World Parks Congress is held in Durban. ;October * 2 – The first South African Air Force BAE Hawk 120 (serial no. 250) makes its maiden flight at

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...

’ Warton, Fylde. * 7 – South African Justice Ministry officials announce that the five policemen who were accused of killing

Steve Biko Bantu Stephen Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known ...

in 1977 will not be prosecuted because of insufficient evidence. * 8 – Domitien Ndayizeye, President of Burundi and

, the leader of a faction of the CNDD-FDD, sign an agreement in Pretoria under the facilitation of Thabo Mbeki,

President of South Africa The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president heads the executive branch of the Government of South Africa and is the commander-in-chief of the South African Nationa ...

and

, Deputy President of South Africa, to integrate the armed forces, the police and intelligence services of

. * 15–18 – President Thabo Mbeki holds bilateral talks with

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Atal Bihari Vajpayee (; 25 December 1924 – 16 August 2018) was an Indian politician who served three terms as the 10th prime minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months fr ...

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...

, while on a state visit to India. * 17 – The first South African Air Force BAE Hawk 120 (serial no. 250) arrives in South Africa inside an Antonov An-22. * 19 – The South African Competitions Commission finds two giant pharmaceutical companies,

GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the ten ...

and

Boehringer Ingelheim C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical ...

Pharmaceuticals, guilty of price fixing anti-retroviral drugs. ;November * 12 – A South African Air Force Impala Mk I jet trainer crashes next to the N4 highway between

Nelspruit Mbombela (also known as Nelspruit) is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River (Mpumalanga), Crocodile River, Mbombela lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, ea ...

and Komatipoort. Pilots Lieutenant Paul Martin and Lieutenant Gert Duvenhage abort an emergency landing on the highway to avoid an oncoming truck and eject, but are both killed, one of them hitting the truck. ;December * 11 – The Sea Point, Cape Town home of

Asher Karni Asher Karni ( he, אשר קרני; born 1954) is a South African and Israeli businessman known for his financial involvement and support for both the Pakistani and Israeli nuclear programs. Biography Asher Karni was born in Hungary. He moved ...

, an Israeli and South African businessman who is alleged to have supplied

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

technology to Pakistan, is raided by police. ;Unknown date *

Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum (Order of Ikhamanga, OIS) (12 December 1928 – 5 July 1978) was a South African professional golfer of ethnic South African Indians, Indian origin, who carved a niche for himself in Golf, golfing folklore when he becam ...

receives a posthumous achievement award from President Thabo Mbeki.

Births

8 January Events Pre-1600 * 307 – Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying. * 871 – Æthelred I and Alfred the Great lead a West Saxon army to repel an inv ...

- Clement Molobela , Media Personality *

18 January Events Pre-1600 * 474 – Seven-year-old Leo II succeeds his maternal grandfather Leo I as Byzantine emperor. He dies ten months later. * 532 – Nika riots in Constantinople fail. * 1126 – Emperor Huizong abdicates the Chines ...

- Wendy Shongwe, soccer player *

28 July Events Pre-1600 *1364 – Troops of the Republic of Pisa and the Republic of Florence clash in the Battle of Cascina. *1540 – Henry VIII of England marries his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, on the same day his former Chancellor, Tho ...

Matthew Sates Matthew Sates (born 28 July 2003) is a South African swimmer. He is the African record holder in the short course 200 metre freestyle, 400 metre freestyle, and 200 metre individual medley as well as the South African record holder in the 400 m ...

, Swimmer *

11 November Events Pre-1600 * 308 – At Carnuntum, Emperor ''emeritus'' Diocletian confers with Galerius, ''Augustus'' of the East, and Maximianus, the recently returned former ''Augustus'' of the West, in an attempt to end the civil wars of the ...

- Thapelo Maseko, soccer player

Deaths

* 5 May – Walter Sisulu, South African political activist. (b. 1912) * 31 May – Billy Wade, cricketer. (b. 1914) * 15 June – Kaiser Matanzima, 1st President of Transkei. (b. 1915) * 6 August – Larry Taylor, English actor and stuntman. (b. 1918) * 9 August –

Lesley Manyathela Lesley Phuti Manyathela (4 September 1981 – 9 August 2003) was a South African professional soccer player who played as a striker for Premier Soccer League club Orlando Pirates and the South African national team. A prolific goalscorer, Man ...

, footballer Orlando Pirates striker. (b. 1981) * 13 September – Kenneth Walter, cricketer. (b. 1939) * 4 November – Ken Gampu, actor. (b. 1929) * 30 December – David Bale, South African-born English businessman and activist. (b. 1941)

References

{{Africa topic, 2003 in, state=collapsed South Africa Years in South Africa History of South Africa