1956 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1956 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II.
 * Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Ernest George Jansen.
 * Prime Minister: Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom.
 * Chief Justice: Albert van der Sandt Centlivres.

Events

 * February
 * 1 – The South African government severs diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union as a result of its support for the South African Communist Party.


 * March
 * 16 – The Riotous Assemblies Act no. 17 is passed, prohibiting any outside gathering that the Minister of Justice deems a threat to public peace.
 * 17 – Mimi Coertse makes her Vienna State Opera debut as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (Mozart).


 * August
 * 9 – Women's march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest against the pass laws.


 * December
 * 5 – 156 leading activists are arrested, heralding the start of the Treason Trial. Among those arrested is Lillian Masediba Ngoyi.
 * 19 – The Four year long Treason Trial begins at the Drill Hall in Johannesburg.


 * Unknown date
 * Lillian Masediba Ngoyi is elected president of the Federation of South African Women.
 * Lillian Masediba Ngoyi becomes the first woman to be elected to the African National Congress National Executive Committee.
 * Segregation is introduced on buses.
 * Albert Lutuli is arrested.

Births

 * 31 January – Trevor Manuel, politician.
 * 2 February – Zweli Mkhize, politician, national minister
 * 17 April – Jerry Mofokeng, actor.
 * 29 May – Anant Singh, film producer, and businessman.
 * 10 July – Solomon Mahlangu, Umkhonto we Sizwe operative
 * 26 July – Gordon Igesund, football coach.
 * 1 September – Jeremy Baskin, trade unionist and labour market analyst.
 * 30 October – Nick Mallett, Springboks player & Springboks coach.
 * 13 November – Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, politician, national minister
 * 15 December – Tony Leon, politician.
 * 16 December – Duncan Faure, musician, member of Rabbitt.
 * 23 December – Andre Markgraaff, Springboks coach.

Deaths

 * 5 April - Manilal Gandhi, editor, activist, and second son of Mahatma Gandhi, (b. 1892)

Sports

 * South Africa at the 1956 Summer Olympics