1960 in South Africa
# 1960 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1960 in South Africa.

## Incumbents

* Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II
* Governor-General: Charles Robberts Swart (from 12 January).
* Prime Minister: Hendrik Verwoerd.
* Chief Justice: Lucas Cornelius Steyn.

## Events

### January

* 21 – 435 miners die in the Coalbrook mining disaster, the worst mine disaster in South Africa.

### February

* 3 – Harold Macmillan delivers his Wind of Change speech to the Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town.

### March

* 21 – Police kill an estimated 69 people during the Sharpeville massacre.
* 22 – Hendrik Verwoerd tells Parliament that the Anti-Pass Resistance in Sharpeville, Gauteng was not targeted against the government.
* 23 – Robert Sobukwe, leader of the Pan Africanist Congress, Albert Lutuli and 11 others are arrested for incitement of riots.
* 24 – All public meetings of more than 12 people are banned.
* 30 – The government declares a State of Emergency.

### April

* 8 – The government bans the African National Congress and the Pan Africanist Congress with the coming into effect of the Unlawful Organisations Act.
* 9 – David Pratt shoots and wounds Hendrik Verwoerd, the Prime Minister of South Africa, while he opens the Rand Easter Show at Milner Park, Johannesburg.
* 19 – The South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO) is founded in Windhoek, South West Africa.

### May

* 4 – Robert Sobukwe, President of the Pan Africanist Congress, is sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for incitement of black Africans to urge the repeal of pass laws.
* 6 – Umhlobo Wenene FM is founded.

### July

* 15 – The first Boeing 707 arrives in South Africa.

### October

* 5 – The white population votes in a referendum to sever South Africa's last links with the British monarchy and become a republic.

### November

* 14 – Serial Killer "Pangaman" Elias Xitavhudzi is hanged for the murders of 16 white men and women in Atteridgeville in the 1950s.

## Births

* 12 March – Sello Maake Ka-Ncube, actor.
* 14 April – Pat Symcox, cricketer
* 8 June – Frank Opperman, actor
* 24 June – Carel du Plessis, rugby player
* 16 July – PJ Powers aka Thandeka, musician.
* 24 August – Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, politician.
* 25 August – David Mabuza, Deputy President of South Africa
* 13 September – Kevin Carter, photojournalist. (d. 1994)
* 18 October – Mark Mathabane, author, lecturer and college professor.

## Deaths

* 13 June – Ken McArthur, athlete. (b. 1881)
