1979 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1979 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * State President:
 * John Vorster (until 4 June).
 * Marais Viljoen (acting from 4 June, elected from 19 June).
 * Prime Minister: P.W. Botha.
 * Chief Justice: Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff.

Events

 * January
 * 8 – South Africa and Lesotho sign a monetary agreement.
 * 14 – Police clash with Umkhonto we Sizwe guerrillas near Zeerust and arrest one while six escape into Botswana.
 * 23 – A bomb explodes near the New Canada railway station in Soweto.
 * 24 – A large amount of explosives is found and defused on the railway line between Fort Beaufort and King William's Town.


 * February
 * Sergeant Benjamin Letlako, a Police Special Branch member, is shot dead in Katlehong.


 * April
 * Explosives are discovered and defused on a railway line near Soweto.


 * May
 * 5 – Guerrillas open fire in the Moroka Police Station, killing one and wounding three more policemen and three civilians.
 * 29 – Bishop Abel Muzorewa becomes the transitional Prime Minister of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia.


 * June
 * 4 – Following the Information Scandal, John Vorster resigns as State President of South Africa.
 * 4 – Marais Viljoen becomes acting State President of South Africa for the second time.
 * 19 – Marais Viljoen becomes State President of South Africa.
 * Explosives are discovered and defused on a railway line in the Eastern Transvaal.


 * September
 * 22 – A Vela satellite detects a flash in the southern Atlantic Ocean, believed to be a South African-Israeli nuclear test.


 * November
 * Guerrillas open fire and hurl grenades in the Orlando Police Station charge office, killing two policemen and wounding two.
 * Grenades are thrown into the home of Special Branch policeman Lt Magezi Ngobeni and five children are wounded.


 * December
 * A bomb explodes and damages the railway line near Alice.
 * A bomb explodes at the Sasol Oil Refineries and cause massive structural damage.


 * Unknown date
 * The National Council of Lawyers for Human Rights is established.
 * The African National Congress's Special Operations, reporting directly to Oliver Tambo, is established.
 * The African National Congress' Nova Catengue Training Camp is attacked and destroyed by the South African Air Force.

Births

 * 8 January – Butch James, rugby player
 * 10 January – Louise Carver, singer-songwriter, pianist
 * 29 January – Mfuneko Ngam, cricketer
 * 5 February – Steve Lekoelea, soccer player
 * 14 February – Wesley Moodie, tennis player
 * 23 February – Jaco van Zyl, golfer
 * 25 February – Wikus van Heerden, rugby player
 * 18 March – Bonnie Mbuli, actress
 * 25 March – Kgomotso Christopher, actress and voice over artist best known for her time in Isidingo as Katlego Sibeko
 * 6 April – Manaka Ranaka, actress
 * 9 April – Ryan Cox, professional road racing cyclist. (d. 2007)
 * 3 June – Deon Carstens, rugby player
 * 23 June – Marilyn Agliotti, field hockey player
 * 6 July – Zandile Msutwana, actress
 * 10 July – Marius Joubert, rugby player
 * 4 August – Robin Peterson, cricketer
 * 12 September – Gcobani Bobo, rugby player
 * 17 September – Neill Blomkamp, film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator.
 * 22 September – Bakkies Botha, rugby player
 * 9 October – Hendrik Odendaal, swimmer
 * 11 October – Zonke, singer
 * 21 November – Jason Hartman, singer-songwriter
 * 16 December – Trevor Immelman, golfer
 * 24 December – DJ Cleo, recording artist, DJ and record producer
 * 28 December – Elvis Blue, singer, musician

Deaths

 * 6 April – Solomon Mahlangu, Umkhonto we Sizwe operative hanged (b. 1956)
 * 12 June – David Sibeko, Pan Africanist Congress representative to the United Nations. (b. 1938)
 * 8 August – Lionel Cooper, mathematician. (b. 1915)
 * 10 November – Harry Hart, athlete. (b. 1905)

Locomotives

 * The South African Railways places the first of 105 Class 6E1, Series 8 electric locomotives in mainline service.

Motorsport

 * 3 March – The South African Grand Prix takes place at Kyalami.
 * Jody Scheckter becomes Formula One World Champion.