1887 in South Africa

← 1886 1885 1884 1887 in South Africa → 1888 1889 1890
Decades:	1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following events happened in South Africa during the year 1887.

Incumbents

• Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
• Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
• State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
• State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger.
• Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.

Events

June

• 21 – The Nederlandsche-Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorweg-Maatschappij (NZASM) is floated. ^[1]
• 21 – Zululand becomes a British colony.

Unknown date

• The town of Boksburg is laid out to serve the surrounding gold mines.
• The Stellenbosch Gymnasium, later to become the Stellenbosch University, changes its name to Victoria College, after Queen Victoria.

Deaths

• 29 May – Xhosa chief Sandile is killed in Denge Forest in a skirmish with the Fingos under the command of Captain J. Lonsdale.

Railways

New lines

Lourenco Marques, Delagoa Bay and East Africa Railway 4-6-0T

• Construction begins on the Delagoa Bay-Pretoria line. ^[1]

Railway lines opened

• October – Cape Central – Worcester to Roodewal, 42 miles (67.6 kilometres). ^[2]

Locomotives

• The Lourenco Marques, Delagoa Bay and East Africa Railway in Mozambique places two 4-6-0 tank locomotives in service, one of which will become the Portuguese Tank on the Pretoria-Pietersburg Railway in 1897. ^[3]

References

1. The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 19.
2. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 182, ref. no. 200954-13
3. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. Vol. 1: 1859–1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, England: David & Charles. pp. 118–119. ISBN   978-0-7153-5382-0.