1984 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1984 in South Africa.

Incumbents

 * State President:
 * Marais Viljoen (until 3 September).
 * P.W. Botha (from 14 September).
 * Prime Minister: P.W. Botha (until 14 September).
 * Chief Justice: Pieter Jacobus Rabie.

Events

 * January
 * 8 – The South African Defence Force begins withdrawal from southern Angola.
 * 16 – The South African Railways inaugurates the MetroBlitz interurban high speed train service between Pretoria and Johannesburg.
 * 30 – Patrick McCall of the Stander gang is killed by police in a raid on the gang's hide-out in Houghton, Johannesburg.


 * February
 * 3 – A bomb destroys the offices of the Ciskei consulate in Durban.
 * 23 – An Escom installation in Georgetown is slightly damaged by an explosion.
 * 29 – Two bombs explode at Mandini, one at a sub-station and the other at the police station.


 * March
 * 11 – The Mobil fuel depot in Ermelo is rocked by four explosions and five storage tanks are destroyed.
 * 12 – During a skirmish with insurgents, two policemen are seriously injured.
 * 16 – South Africa and Mozambique sign the Nkomati Accord, a non-aggression treaty, at Komatipoort.
 * 23 – Dorothy Nyembe is released from Kroonstad Prison after serving 15 years.


 * April
 * 3 – The African National Congress denies responsibility after a car bomb explodes on the Victoria Embankment, Durban, killing three and injuring twenty.
 * 5 – The Transkei consulate in Botshabelo is destroyed by a bomb.
 * An insurgent is killed at De Deur.


 * May
 * 2 – South Africa, Mozambique and Portugal sign an agreement on electricity supply from the Cahora Bassa dam.
 * 5 – Over 7,000 people attend an Afrikaner Volkswag rally in Pretoria.
 * 12 – A bomb explodes at the Trust Bank in Durban.
 * 13 – The Mobil Oil Refinery in Durban comes under RPG-7 attack by Umkhonto we Sizwe insurgents who are all killed afterwards in a running battle with police.
 * 16 – Outside the Jabulani Police station in Soweto an explosion destroys two private vehicles belonging to policemen.
 * 18 – The railway line near Lenasia is damaged by an explosion.
 * 29 – Prime Minister P.W. Botha and minister of foreign affairs Pik Botha visit Austria, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and West Germany.
 * Mutineers systematically kill most camp administration members at Umkhonto we Sizwe's Pango training camp in Angola.


 * June
 * 21 – An explosion damages a sub-station in Berea, Durban and disrupts electricity supply.
 * 28 – Jeannette Schoon and her six-year-old daughter Katryn are killed by a letter bomb at Lubango, Angola.


 * July
 * 9 – South Africa signs the amendment of the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
 * 12 – One policeman is killed and one is injured when their vehicle is attacked in Jabulani.
 * 28 – The South African Railways Police charge office in KwaMashu, Durban is attacked with hand grenades.


 * August
 * 3 – A guerrilla is killed in the Ellisras area.
 * 7 – Tshabalala Dry Cleaners in Soweto is extensively damaged by Umkhonto we Sizwe.
 * 7 – An Escom sub-station is destroyed in Glenmore, Durban.
 * 12 – The Department of Internal Affairs of Johannesburg is hit by an explosion that causes minor damage.
 * 16 – Two Limpet mines destroy two floors of the South African Police HQ, Soweto East in Roodepoort, injuring the District Commander, four policemen and two civilians.
 * 17 – A guerrilla is killed while resisting arrest in Mapetla.
 * 22 – Elections to the new House of Representatives are held.
 * 23 – Explosions destroy 4th floor offices of the government in a building in Booysens, Johannesburg.
 * 24 – A bomb explodes in Anchor Life Building in Johannesburg, destroying the South African Railways Police regional offices and the Department of Internal Affairs offices.
 * 22 – Elections to the new House of Delegates are held.


 * September
 * 3 – A limpet mine placed by Mo Shaik explodes at the Department of Internal Affairs in Johannesburg.
 * 3 – A violent march in the Vaal Triangle inaugurates a prolonged township uprising.
 * 5 – An explosion destroys an Escom sub-station at Rustenburg and disrupts power to Rustenburg and a large area of Bophutatswana.
 * 13 – A Limpet mine causes damage to a Durban sub-station.
 * 14 – The position of Prime Minister is abolished.
 * 14 – P.W. Botha is inaugurated as the first executive State President of South Africa.
 * 14 – A bomb explodes at the Department of Community Development in Krugersdorp.


 * October
 * 8 – South Africa, Mozambique and Renamo hold talks in Pretoria to end the civil war in Mozambique.
 * 16 – Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.


 * December
 * 11 – A section of railway line near Durban and a goods train are damaged by an explosion.
 * 14 – A guerrilla is killed and a policeman is injured in a skirmish in Ingwavuma.
 * 18 – Foreign minister Pik Botha and President of Somalia Siad Barre hold talks in Mogadishu.
 * 25 – Another guerrilla is killed in Ingwavuma.

Births

 * 21 January – Aaron Phangiso, cricketer
 * 24 January – Senzo Meyiwa, South Africa national football team captain (d. 2014)
 * 29 January – Natalie du Toit, amputee swimmer
 * 2 February – Thembinkosi Fanteni, football player
 * 17 February – AB de Villiers, cricketer
 * 20 February – Trevor Noah, comedian, actor and television personality
 * 26 February – Minki van der Westhuizen, model and television presenter
 * 4 March – Jeremy Loops, singer
 * 5 March – Lindani Nkosi, actor
 * 7 March – Lonwabo Tsotsobe, cricketer
 * 10 March – Ruan Pienaar, rugby player
 * 6 April – Siboniso Gaxa, football player
 * 6 April – Mario Morgan, philosopher
 * 14 April – JP Duminy, cricketer
 * 11 May – Willem Alberts, rugby player
 * 20 May – Duduzane Zuma, businessman, son of the former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma
 * 22 May – Bismarck du Plessis, rugby player
 * 6 June – Atandwa Kani, actor, son of actor John Kani
 * 16 June – Zane Kirchner, rugby player
 * 11 July – Morné Steyn, rugby player
 * 13 July – Faf du Plessis, South Africa national cricket team captain
 * 15 August – Peter Grant (rugby union), rugby player
 * 28 August – Darian Townsend, swimmer, Olympic gold medalist
 * 31 August – Charl Schwartzel, golfer
 * 7 September – Letoya Makhene, singer & actress
 * 25 September – Siphiwe Tshabalala, football player
 * 1 October – Abigail Pietersen, figure skater
 * 3 October – Thabo Nthethe, football player
 * 6 October – Morné Morkel, cricketer
 * 8 October – Tansey Coetzee, Miss South Africa 2007
 * 14 October – Amalia Uys, actress
 * 19 October – Presley Chweneyagae, actor, lead actor in the film Tsotsi, which won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.
 * 11 November – Kelly Khumalo, singer, actress and dancer
 * 24 November – Kagisho Dikgacoi, football player
 * 29 November – Katlego Mphela, football player
 * 1 December – Yolandi Visser, rapper, female vocalist in the rap-rave group Die Antwoord
 * 2 December – Sjava, singer, rapper, actor
 * 27 December – Gail Mabalane, actress

Deaths

 * March – John Fairbairn, naval officer, (b. 1912)

Locomotives
Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways:
 * The first of forty-five Class 6E1, Series 11 electric locomotives. These are the last of altogether 960 Class 6E1 locomotives to be built.
 * The first of twenty-five 25 kV AC Class 7E3, Series 2 electric locomotives.

Athletics

 * 31 March – Ernest Seleke wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:09:41 in Port Elizabeth.
 * 11 August – Barefoot runner Zola Budd and Mary Decker of the United States collide in the Olympic 3,000 meters final and neither finish as medallist.

Motorsport

 * 7 April – The South African Grand Prix takes place at Kyalami.