1953 in South Africa

← 1952 1951 1950 1953 in South Africa → 1954 1955 1956
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1953 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Ernest George Jansen.
• Prime Minister: Daniel François Malan.
• Chief Justice: Albert van der Sandt Centlivres.

Events

May

• 9 – The Liberal Party of South Africa is formed in Cape Town by Alan Paton.

July

• 29 – Santam Insurance Company is registered, following the separation of trust and insurance operations.

September

• Mimi Coertse leaves South Africa for London.

December

• 18–20 – The 42nd Annual Conference of the African National Congress takes place in Queenstown.

Unknown date

• The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), banned by the National Party government, relaunches itself underground as the South African Communist Party (SACP).
• Bantu Education Act is voted, and will start 1 January 1954.

Births

• 12 January – Steven De Groote, classical pianist. (d. 1989)
• 13 January – Derek Hanekom, activist and politician.
• 15 February – Mantfombi Dlamini, Queen Consort of the Zulu Nation. (d. 2021)
• 5 March – Tokyo Sexwale, businessman, politician and activist.
• 29 April – Bill Drummond, British musician.
• 7 June – Johnny Clegg, white Zulu musician and anthropologist. (d. 2019)
• 22 October – Loyiso Nongxa, mathematician.
• 7 December – Naledi Pandor, national minister

Deaths

• 1 July – Totius, Afrikaans poet. (b. 1877)

Railways

Class 25

Class 25NC

Railway lines opened

• 14 October – Cape – Lohatla to Sishen, 17 miles 3 chains (27.4 kilometres). ^[1]

Locomotives

Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):

• The first of ninety Class 25 4-8-4 Northern type condensing steam locomotives. ^{[2] [3] [4]}
• The first of fifty Class 25NC non-condensing versions of the Class 25 Condenser. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Sports

Football

• 22 November – In a friendly match the South Africa national football team loses 1–3 to the Portugal national football team at the National Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal.

References

1. 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
2. Holland, D. F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways. 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 108–111. ISBN   978-0-7153-5427-8.
3. Durrant, A. E. (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. pp. 107–109. ISBN   0715386387.
4. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 77–78. ISBN   0869772112.