1934 in South Africa
# 1934 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1934 in South Africa.

## Incumbents

* Monarch: King George V
* Governor-General: The Earl of Clarendon
* Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog
* Chief Justice: John Wessels

## Events

### February

* 1 – South African Airways is inaugurated and takes over the passenger and goods air services from Union Airways.

### June

* The National Party and South African Party unite to form the United Party.

### July

* 9 – The Hitler Youth movement is prohibited in South West Africa.

### December

* 3 – The Status of the Union Act and the Royal Executive Functions and Seals Act come into operation: i.a. they make Parliament the sovereign legislative power in the Union; adopt parts of the Statute of Westminster; vest the executive government in the king, acting on the advice of the South African ministers only; and institute the Royal Great Seal of the Union and the Royal Signet of the Union.

### Unknown date

* The Slums Act is passed, giving municipalities and the government the authority to acquire slum properties.

## Births

* 5 January – Phil Ramone, recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, co-founder of A & R Recording, Inc. (d. 2013)
* 14 January – Laurie Ackermann, Constitutional Court of South Africa judge
* 8 May – Sibusiso Bengu, politician
* 16 May – Ronnie Govender, playwright and director (d, 2021)
* 26 May – Dullah Omar, lawyer and politician. (d. 2004)
* 28 June – Peter Beighton, English-born geneticist (d. 2017)
* 5 August – Zakes Mokae, actor (d. 2009)
* 8 August – Sam Nzima, photographer who took what became the well known image of Hector Pieterson for the Soweto uprising (d. 2018)
* 3 October – Harold Henning, golfer. (d. 2004)
* 8 October – Kader Asmal, activist, politician and professor of human rights (d. 2011)
* 9 October – Abdullah Ibrahim, pianist and composer
* 20 October – Mary Peach, film and television actress
* 8 November – Edward Bhengu, activist and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (d. 2010)
* 9 November – Ronald Harwood, playwright (d. 2020)

## Deaths

* 27 March – Francis William Reitz, president of the Orange Free State. (b. 1844)
* 28 July – Louis Tancred, cricketer. (b. 1876)

## Railways

### Railway lines opened

* 26 February – Transvaal – Northam to Thabazimbi, 28 miles 72 chains (46.5 kilometres).
* 29 July – Transvaal – Germiston to Elsburg, 2 miles 49 chains (4.2 kilometres).
* 21 September – Transvaal – Tuinplaas to Marble Hall, 36 miles 36 chains (58.7 kilometres).
* 15 October – Cape – Kleinstraat to Matroosberg, 8 miles 48 chains (13.8 kilometres).
