1946 in South Africa
# 1946 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1946 in South Africa.

## Incumbents

* Monarch: King George VI.
* Governor-General: Gideon Brand van Zyl (starting 1 January).
* Prime Minister: Jan Christiaan Smuts.
* Chief Justice: Ernest Frederick Watermeyer.

## Events

### January

* 1 – Gideon Brand van Zyl is appointed the 7th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa.

### March

* 12 – The South African Indian Congress delegation is received by the Viceroy, Lord Wavell, in Delhi, India, and submits a petition drafted in consultation with Mohandas Gandhi.
* 12 – The Indian Representative Act is repealed.
* 12 – India terminates the trade agreement with South Africa.
* 15 – The Asiatic Land Tenure Act, the "Ghetto Act", is amended to state that Indians may only live where Indians had resided in non-proclaimed areas.
* 31 – 6,000 Indians march in Durban in protest to the Asiatic Land Tenure Act.

### April

* 16 – The Eureka Diamond, the first diamond discovered in South Africa, is sold in London for £5,700.

### June

* 11 – India recalls its High Commissioner from South Africa.
* 22 – During a prayer meeting in New Delhi, India, Mahatma Gandhi calls for South Africa to stop hooliganism by whites.
* 23 – A group of white men attack and assault a group of Indian Passive Resisters.

### July

* 8 – Indian protests against government legislation lead to the arrest of hundreds of Indians.

## Births

* 8 January – Whitey Basson, businessman and billionaire, former CEO of Shoprite
* 18 January – Jakes Gerwel, academic and politician. (d. 2012)
* 19 July – Lucas Malan, Afrikaans poet, author and academic
* 15 September – Mike Procter, cricketer
* 5 December – Sarel van der Merwe, former rally and racing driver
* 18 December – Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist. (d. 1977)

## Deaths

* 13 April – William Henry Bell, musician, composer and first director of the South African College of Music. (b. 1873)

## Railways

### Railway lines opened

* 1 June – Transvaal: Ogies to Vandyksdrif, 21 miles 30 chains (34.4 kilometres).

### Locomotives

* The South African Railways places the first of fifty Class GEA 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt locomotives in service.
