1917 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1917 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Buxton.
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: James Rose Innes

Events

January

• 16 – The SS Mendi, a troopship, sets sail from Cape Town to Le Havre, France, transporting 823 members of the 802nd South African Native Labour Corps.

February

• 21 – The SS Mendi is struck on the starboard side by the SS Darro, an 11,000 ton liner, and sinks with the loss of 646 lives.

September

• The , South Africa's first predominantly black trade union, is established in Johannesburg.

Unknown date

• The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is handed over to the South African Defence Force.
• Gold mining company Anglo American Corporation is founded by Ernest Oppenheimer.

Births

• 27 October – Oliver Tambo, activist and revolutionary. (d. 1993)
• 20 December – Petrus Hugo, Second World War fighter pilot. (d. 1986)

Deaths

• 18 January – Andrew Murray, author, educationist and pastor. (b. 1828)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 5 March – Natal – Izingolweni to Harding (narrow gauge), .
• 20 June – Natal – Gingindlovu to Eshowe, .

Locomotives

• Three new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
• November – Ten Class 16B 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives.
• Seven Class K 4-6-4 tank locomotives that had been built for the Philippines but could not be delivered.
• At least four 2-8-2 Mikado type steam locomotives, built for the Chemins de Fer du Bas Congo à Katanga and obtained on temporary lease to alleviate the critical wartime shortage of locomotives.

References