1.
Union of South Africa
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The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of four previously separate British colonies, Cape Colony, Natal Colony, Transvaal Colony and it included the territories formerly part of the Boer republics annexed in 1902, South African Republic and Orange Free State. The Union of South Africa was a dominion of the British Empire and it was governed under a form of constitutional monarchy, with the Crown represented by a governor-general. The Union came to an end when the 1961 constitution was enacted, on 31 May 1961 the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth, under the new name Republic of South Africa. Unlike Canada and Australia, the Union of South Africa was a state, rather than a federation. A bicameral parliament was created, consisting of a House of Assembly and Senate, during the course of the Union the franchise changed on several occasions always to suit the needs of the government of the day. Bloemfontein and Pietermaritzburg were given financial compensation, the Union initially remained under the British Crown as a self-governing dominion of the British Empire. With the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, the Union and other dominions became equal in status to the United Kingdom, the Monarch was represented in South Africa by a Governor-General, while effective power was exercised by the Executive Council, headed by the Prime Minister. Louis Botha, formerly a Boer general, was appointed first Prime Minister of the Union, heading a coalition representing the white Afrikaner, prosecutions before courts were instituted in the name of the Crown and government officials served in the name of the Crown. Some extremist Nationalist organisations, like the Ossewa Brandwag, openly supported Nazi Germany during the Second World War, the Afrikaner-dominated Government consequently withdrew South Africa from the Commonwealth. Natal, which had an English-speaking majority, voted against, following the referendum result, some whites in Natal even called for secession from the Union. Five years earlier, some 33,000 Natalians had signed the Natal Covenant in opposition to the plans for a republic, subsequently the National Party Government passed a Constitution that repealed the South Africa Act. The features of the Union were carried over with little change to the newly formed Republic. The decision to transform from a Union to Republic was narrowly decided in the referendum, the South Africa Act dealt with race in two specific provisions. Second it made native affairs a matter for the national government, the practice therefore was to establish a Minister of Native Affairs. Several previous unsuccessful attempts to unite the colonies were made, with proposed political models ranging from unitary, Sir George Grey, the Governor of Cape Colony from 1854 to 1861, decided that unifying the states of southern Africa would be mutually beneficial. He believed that a united South African Federation, under British control and his idea was greeted with cautious optimism in southern Africa, the Orange Free State agreed to the idea in principle and the Transvaal may also eventually have agreed. However, he was overruled by the British Colonial Office which ordered him to desist from his plans and his refusal to abandon the idea eventually led to him being recalled
2.
South Africa
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South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. South Africa is the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and it is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different Bantu languages, the remaining population consists of Africas largest communities of European, Asian, and multiracial ancestry. South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a variety of cultures, languages. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the recognition of 11 official languages. The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup détat, however, the vast majority of black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to recover its rights from the dominant white minority, with this struggle playing a role in the countrys recent history. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation, since 1994, all ethnic and linguistic groups have held political representation in the countrys democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. South Africa is often referred to as the Rainbow Nation to describe the multicultural diversity. The World Bank classifies South Africa as an economy. Its economy is the second-largest in Africa, and the 34th-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, South Africa has the seventh-highest per capita income in Africa. However, poverty and inequality remain widespread, with about a quarter of the population unemployed, nevertheless, South Africa has been identified as a middle power in international affairs, and maintains significant regional influence. The name South Africa is derived from the geographic location at the southern tip of Africa. Upon formation the country was named the Union of South Africa in English, since 1961 the long form name in English has been the Republic of South Africa. In Dutch the country was named Republiek van Zuid-Afrika, replaced in 1983 by the Afrikaans Republiek van Suid-Afrika, since 1994 the Republic has had an official name in each of its 11 official languages. Mzansi, derived from the Xhosa noun umzantsi meaning south, is a name for South Africa. South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human fossil sites in the world, extensive fossil remains have been recovered from a series of caves in Gauteng Province. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has termed the Cradle of Humankind
3.
1912
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As of the start of 1912, the Gregorian calendar was 13 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923. January 1 – The Republic of China is proclaimed, January 4 – The Scout Association is incorporated throughout the British Commonwealth by Royal Charter. January 5 – Moscow Art Theatre production of Hamlet opens, January 6 – New Mexico becomes the 47th state of the United States. January 6 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presents his theory of continental drift, January 14 – Raymond Poincaré forms a coalition government in France, beginning his first term of office as Prime Minister on 21 January. January 17 – British polar explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott and a team of four become the second group to reach the South Pole. January 18 – Prague Party Conference, Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party break away from the rest of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. January 22 – The Overseas Railroad opens and the first train arrives in Key West, Florida at 10,43 AM, with Henry M. Flagler, January 23 – The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague. February 12 – The Manchu Qing dynasty of China comes to an end after 268 years with the abdication of Emperor Puyi in favour of the Republic of China. February 14 – Arizona becomes the 48th U. S. state, february 29 – Serbia and Bulgaria secretly sign a treaty of alliance for a term of eight years, with each pledging to come to the defense of the other during war. March 1 – Albert Berry is reported to have made the first parachute jump from a flying airplane. March 6 – Italian forces became the first to use airships in war, march 7 – Roald Amundsen in Hobart, Tasmania, announces his success in reaching the South Pole the previous December. March 12 – The Girl Scouts is founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, march 16 – Lawrence Oates, dying member of Scotts South Pole expedition, leaves the tent saying, I am just going outside and may be some time. March 22 – State of Bihar is formed out of the ertswhile State of Bengal in British India, march 27 – Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo gives 3,000 cherry trees to be planted in Washington, D. C. to symbolize the friendship between the two countries. March 29 – The remaining members of Robert Falcon Scotts South Pole expedition die, march 30 – The French Third Republic establishes the French protectorate in Morocco. April 10 – White Star liner RMS Titanic departs from Southampton with 2225 passengers, april 11 – RMS Titanic makes her last call, at Queenstown in Ireland. April 14–15 – Sinking of the RMS Titanic, RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the northern Atlantic Ocean, the wreck will not be discovered until 1985. April 16 – Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly across the English Channel, april 17 –500 striking gold miners in Siberia are killed or wounded by troops in the Lena massacre. April 18 – Cunard Line vessel RMS Carpathia arrives in New York with the 708 RMS Titanic survivors, april 20 – Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, opens
4.
Monarchy of South Africa
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The monarchs constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa. South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth on 31 May 1961, on 31 May 1994, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth as a republic, after the end of apartheid. The monarchy was created by the South Africa Act 1909 which united four British colonies in southern Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange River Colony and Transvaal. The Act also made provisions for admitting Southern Rhodesia as a province of the Union in the future. South-West Africa became a League of Nations mandate of the Union in 1915, following a referendum on the subject, South Africa adopted a new constitution in 1961 which abolished the monarchy. King George VI, his wife Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited South Africa in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, in 1995 and 1999. State President of South Africa President of South Africa
5.
George V
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George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. He was the son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. From the time of his birth, he was third in the line of succession behind his father and his own brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. From 1877 to 1891, George served in the Royal Navy, on the death of his grandmother in 1901, Georges father became King-Emperor of the British Empire, and George was created Prince of Wales. He succeeded his father in 1910 and he was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar. His reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, the Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the unelected House of Lords. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, in 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations. He had health problems throughout much of his reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son. George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House and he was the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Albert Edward and Alexandra. His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and he was baptised at Windsor Castle on 7 July 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley. As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was expectation that George would become king. He was third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother, George was only 17 months younger than Albert Victor, and the two princes were educated together. John Neale Dalton was appointed as their tutor in 1871, neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually. For three years from 1879, the brothers served on HMS Bacchante, accompanied by Dalton. They toured the colonies of the British Empire in the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia, and visited Norfolk, Virginia, as well as South America, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Dalton wrote an account of their journey entitled The Cruise of HMS Bacchante. Between Melbourne and Sydney, Dalton recorded a sighting of the Flying Dutchman, after Lausanne, the brothers were separated, Albert Victor attended Trinity College, Cambridge, while George continued in the Royal Navy. He travelled the world, visiting many areas of the British Empire, during his naval career he commanded Torpedo Boat 79 in home waters then HMS Thrush on the North America station, before his last active service in command of HMS Melampus in 1891–92. From then on, his rank was largely honorary
6.
Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
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The Governor-general of the Union of South Africa was the representative of the British and later South African Crown in the Union of South Africa between 31 May 1910 and 31 May 1961. The Union of South Africa was a Commonwealth realm in which Queen Elizabeth II was given the title Queen of South Africa, as in other Dominions, this would change, and from 1943 onward only South Africans held the office. The office was established by the South Africa Act 1909, although the Governor General was nominally the countrys chief executive, in practice he was bound by convention to act on the advice of the prime minister and the cabinet. In the interim, the National Party used the Governor-Generals post as a sinecure for retired National Party ministers. In 1957, God Save the Queen ceased to have status with Die Stem van Suid-Afrika as a national anthem. However, it was not until 1960 that prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd advised governor-general Swart to hold a referendum on the issue, the result was 52 per cent in favour of the change. Swart, the last governor-general, asked the Queen to relieve him of his duties on 30 April 1961, state President of South Africa President of South Africa Prime Minister of South Africa
7.
Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone
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Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone GCB GCMG GBE PC JP was a British Liberal statesman. The youngest son of William Ewart Gladstone, he was Home Secretary from 1905 to 1910, in secret meetings with Labour leaders in 1903 he forged the famous Gladstone–MacDonald pact. In two-member constituencies, it arranged that Liberal and Labour candidates did not split the vote, historians give him much of the credit for the Liberal triumph in 1906, with 400 MPs and a majority of 243. Historian John Grigg states that while his name is not often included in any list of radicals, his radical record is second to none in the Campbell-Bannerman Government. He was, to be sure, no firebrand, but a party man whose common sense inclined him to be less Gladstonian in the matter of State intervention then than his famous father had been. With his able under-secretary, Herbert Samuel, he sponsored no less than 34 acts Acts of Parliament during his time at the Home Office, William Henry Gladstone and Lord Gladstone of Hawarden were his elder brothers. He was educated at Eton and University College, Oxford, and lectured in history at Keble College, Oxford, in 1880 Gladstone became private secretary to his father. Having been a junior Lord of the Treasury from 1881 to 1885, the following year served for a brief period as Financial Secretary to the War Office in his fathers third administration. The Liberals fell from power in 1895 and he became the Liberals Chief Whip in 1899 and in 1903 he negotiated on behalf of the Liberals an electoral pact with the Labour Representation Committee. He was president of the Darlington Liberal and Radical Association from early 1900, Gladstone returned to office in 1905 when Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman appointed him Home Secretary. As Prince of Wales, King Edward VII had come to enjoy warm and mutually respectful relations with W. E. Gladstone and these feelings did not extend to his son. In September 1908 he permitted Roman Catholic priests in vestments, led by Cardinal Vanutelli, there were a flood of protests, and the King asked Gladstone to ban the procession to avert a breach of the peace. In the end the Prime Minister H. H. Asquith had to ask Lord Ripon, philip Magnus suggests that Gladstone may have become a whipping-boy for the Kings general irritation with the Liberal Government. Gladstone was sacked in the reshuffle in 1910 and the King agreed, with some reluctance and he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and raised to the peerage as Viscount Gladstone, of the County of Lanark, the same year. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1917, Lord Gladstone married Dorothy Mary, daughter of Sir Richard Paget, 1st Baronet, in 1901. She was over twenty years his junior, there were no children from the marriage. Lord Gladstone died in March 1930, aged 76, at his Ware home, with no children, his title became extinct at his death. The Viscountess Gladstone died in June 1953, the whip as paymaster, Herbert Gladstone and party organization
8.
Prime Minister of South Africa
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The Prime Minister of South Africa was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984. The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of South Africa was formed and he was appointed by the head of state—the Governor-General until 1961 and the State President after South Africa became a republic in 1961. In practice, he was the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Assembly, the first Prime Minister was Louis Botha, a former Boer general and war hero during the Second Boer War. He was the leading political figure and de facto chief executive. The last Prime Minister, Pieter Willem Botha, became the first executive State President after the constitutional reform, parties South African Party United Party National Party State President of South Africa President of South Africa Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
9.
Louis Botha
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Louis Botha was a South African politician who was the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war hero during the Second Boer War, he would fight to have South Africa become a British Dominion. He was born in Greytown, Natal as one of 13 children born to Louis Botha Senior and he briefly attended the school at Hermannsburg before his family relocated to the Orange Free State. The name Louis runs throughout the family, with every generation since General Louis Botha having the eldest son named Louis, Botha led Dinuzulus Volunteers, a group of Boers that had supported Dinuzulu against Zibhebhu in 1884. He later became a member of the parliament of Transvaal in 1897, in 1899, Botha fought in the Second Boer War, initially under Lucas Meyer in Northern Natal, and later as a general commanding and fighting impressively at Colenso and Spion Kop. On the death of P. J. Joubert, he was made commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, after the battle at the Tugela, Botha granted a twenty-four-hour armistice to General Buller to enable him to bury his dead. Winston Churchill revealed that General Botha was the man who captured him at the ambush of a British armoured train on 15 November 1899, coetzer 1996, p.30 also claims that Botha captured Churchill at train ambush 15 November 1899. Churchill was not aware of the mans identity until 1902, when Botha travelled to London seeking loans to assist his countrys reconstruction, the incident is also mentioned in Arthur Conan Doyles book, The Great Boer War, published in 1902. But more recent sources claim that Field-Cornet Sarel Oosthuizen was in fact the Boer-soldier who, at gunpoint, another version claims that the unit to capture Churchill was the Italian Volunteer Legion and its commander, Camillo Ricchiardi. After the fall of Pretoria in June 1900, Botha led a guerrilla campaign against the British together with Koos de la Rey. The success of his measures was seen in the resistance offered by the Boers to the very close of the three-year war. Botha was a representative of his countrymen in the negotiations of 1902. He later worked towards peace with the British, representing the Boers at the negotiations in 1902. In the period of reconstruction under British rule, Botha went to Europe with de Wet and his war record made him prominent in the politics of Transvaal and he was a major player in the postwar reconstruction of that country, becoming Prime Minister of Transvaal on 4 March 1907. In 1911, together with another Boer war hero, Jan Smuts, he formed the South African Party, widely viewed as too conciliatory with Britain, Botha faced revolts from within his own party and opposition from James Barry Munnik Hertzogs National Party. When South Africa obtained dominion status in 1910, Botha became the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, after the First World War started, he sent troops to take German South-West Africa, a move unpopular among Boers, which provoked the Boer Revolt. At the end of the War he briefly led a British Empire military mission to Poland during the Polish-Soviet War and he argued that the terms of the Versailles Treaty were too harsh on the Central Powers, but signed the treaty. Botha was unwell for most of 1919 and he was plagued by fatigue and ill-health that arose from his robust waist-line. ”General Louis Botha died of heart failure following an attack of Spanish influenza on 27 August 1919 in the early hours of the morning
10.
John de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers
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John Henry de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers KCMG PC, was a Cape lawyer and judge. He was Attorney-General in the Molteno Government, Chief Justice for the Cape Colony, John de Villiers was the son of Charles Christian de Villiers, of Paarl, Cape of Good Hope and his wife Dorothea Retief. His family was of French Huguenot descent and had arrived in the Cape four generations before in 1689. His fathers dying wish had been that he become a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, however after 18 months study he found that he had no calling to the church. He studied in Berlin and London, was called to the English bar in 1865, William Porter, the Attorney General at the time, became his legal mentor and soon afterwards he entered parliament representing Worcester. In parliament, he and Porter supported John Moltenos movement for government in 1872. In November 1872, after the Cape successfully attained self-government, the countrys unpopular Attorney General William Griffith was retired, John de Villiers was called upon to replace him as Attorney-General of the Cape Colony in Moltenos cabinet. He served for two years, from 1872 to 1874. He was thus the first Attorney-General of the Cape under responsible government, at the time it was still legal to have a private practice, and de Villiers did so. However this work in addition to his work as adviser to the government. In 1874, on Moltenos insistence, he agreed to take the office of Chief Justice of the Cape Colony - a job he performed with great dedication and skill until the act of Union in 1910. After the Union of South Africa was created, he went on to serve as Chief Justice of South Africa from 1910 to 1914. Altogether, he served as Chief Justice for 40 years, with. an ever-growing reputation of the highest character for independence, legal ability, and irreproachable impartiality. Although he had represented Worcester in Parliament and was much interested in politics. His reserved and sensitive personality, together with a weak constitution and his lack of outward charisma. However his academic ability, progressive thinking, huge range of intellectual interests and he was also a dedicated Freemason of the highest level. Lord de Villiers married Aletta Johanna, daughter of Jan Pieter Jordaan and he died in September 1914, aged 72, and was succeeded in the barony by his son Charles Percy de Villiers. Lady de Villiers died in 1922, new York, St Martins Press,1990, Leigh Rayments Peerage Pages
11.
Cape Government Railways
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The Cape Government Railways was the government-owned railway operator in the Cape Colony from 1874 until the creation of the South African Railways in 1910. The first railways at the Cape were privately owned, the Cape Town Railway and Dock Company started construction from Cape Town in 1859, reaching Eerste River by 1862 and Wellington by 1863. Meanwhile, by 1864 the Wynberg Railway Company had connected Cape Town, for the moment, railway development at the Cape did not continue eastwards beyond Wellington because of the barrier presented by the mountains of the Cape Fold Belt. The discovery of diamonds, and the consequent rush to Kimberley that started in 1871, in his very first speech to the Cape Parliament he announced the purchase of all existing lines and the founding of the Cape Government Railways. The announced expansion was to see the construction of a network over ten times more extensive than the length of railway that existed in the whole of southern Africa at the time. This gauge went on to become the standard for all railways in southern, the government planned for lines to strike northwards, from the three ports of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London, towards Kimberley and the developing hinterland. These three lines became known as the Cape Western, Cape Midland and Cape Eastern lines respectively, the Cape Western Line was charted by the Prime Minister himself. The Cape Midland Line only began when the Cape Government took over the rudimentary and incomplete line of the Port Elizabeth, however building accelerated massively over the next few years, with twin lines reaching northwards to Graaff-Reinet, and eastwards to Grahamstown. These connected with the Cape Western Line at De Aar and thus to Kimberley, the Cape Eastern Line was built partially to serve the frontier, and its network of military forts. The port of East London was likewise chosen partly for strategic reasons, the line was begun in 1873, when the Prime Minister turning the first spades for both the East London harbour and the Eastern Railway Line on 20 August 1873. Though frontier wars disrupted construction from time to time, the line reached Queenstown in 1880, from an initial total of 92 kilometres in 1872, the Cape was now criss-crossed with over 2,000 kilometres of railway. In 1886 gold was discovered in the South African Republic, setting off the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and this line reached Bloemfontein in 1890, and the first trains operated from Cape Town to Johannesburg in 1892. In 1897 the OFS government took control of its portion of the line. The Cape railway network played a significant role in supporting and supplying the British forces during the Second Boer War, Cape Gauge Rail transport in South Africa Kleingeld, Christo. Locomotives of the South African Railways, ISBN 0-86977-211-2 Burman, Jose, Early Railways at the Cape, Cape Town, Human & Rousseau, ISBN 0-7981-1760-5
12.
Johannesburg
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Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and is one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world. It is the capital of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africas three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the city is located in the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills and is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade. In 2011, the population of the city of Johannesburg was 4,434,827, in the same year, the population of Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area was 7,860,781. Some view the surrounding the city of Johannesburg yet more broadly than the metropolitan area, adding Ekurhuleni, West Rand and Lenasia. The land area of the city is large in comparison with those of other major cities, resulting in a moderate population density of 2. The city was established in 1886 following the discovery of gold on what had been a farm, the city is commonly interpreted as the modern day El Dorado due to the extremely large gold deposit found along the Witwatersrand. The name is attributed to one or all of three men involved in the establishment of the city, in ten years, the population was 100,000 inhabitants. A separate city from the late 1970s until the 1990s, Soweto is now part of Johannesburg, Soweto, although eventually incorporated into Johannesburg, had been separated as a residential area for blacks, who were not permitted to live in Johannesburg proper. Lenasia is predominantly populated by English-speaking South Africans of Indian descent, controversy surrounds the origin of the name. There were quite a number of people with the name Johannes who were involved in the history of the city. Among them are the principal clerk attached to the office of the surveyor-general Johannes Rissik, Christiaan Johannes Joubert, another was Stephanus Johannes Paulus Paul Kruger, president of the South African Republic 1883-1900. Johannes Meyer, the first government official in the area is another possibility, precise records for the choice of name were lost. Rissik and Joubert were members of a delegation sent to England to attain mining rights for the area. Joubert had a park in the city named after him and Rissik Street is today a street where the historically important and dilapidated Post Office, since burnt out. The region surrounding Johannesburg was originally inhabited by San people, the Sotho–Tswana practised farming and extensively mined and smelted metals that were available in the area. The most prominent site within Johannesburg is Melville Koppies, which contains an iron smelting furnace, the main Witwatersrand gold reef was discovered in June 1884 on the farm Vogelstruisfontein by Jan Gerritse Bantjes that triggered the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the start of Johannesburg in 1886. The discovery of gold rapidly attracted people to the area, making necessary a name, Johannes Meyer, the first government official in the area is another possibility
13.
African National Congress
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The African National Congress is the Republic of South Africas governing social democratic political party. It has been the party of post-apartheid South Africa on the national level, beginning with the election of Nelson Mandela in the 1994 election. Today, the ANC remains the dominant political party in South Africa and its leader Jacob Zuma is the incumbent head of state, with Atul Gupta being the official head of government. On 8 April 1960, the administration of Charles Robberts Swart, banned the ANC, after the ban, the ANC formed the Umkhonto we Sizwe to fight against apartheid utilizing guerrilla warfare and sabotage. On 3 February 1990, State President F. W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC, on 17 March 1992, the apartheid referendum was passed by the voters removing apartheid and allowing the ANC to run in the 1994 election. Since the 1994 election the ANC has performed better than 60% in all general elections, the founding of the SANNC was in direct response to injustice against black South Africans at the hands of the government then in power. It can be said that the SANNC had its origins in a pronouncement by Pixley ka Isaka Seme who said in 1911, Forget all the past differences among Africans, the SANNC was founded the following year on 8 January 1912. The government of the newly formed Union of South Africa began a systematic oppression of people in South Africa. The Land Act was promulgated in 1913 forcing many non-whites from their farms into the cities and towns to work, by 1919, the SANNC was leading a campaign against passes. However, it became dormant in the mid-1920s. During that time, black people were represented by the ICU. In 1923, the became the African National Congress. By 1927, J. T. Gumede proposed co-operation with the Communists in a bid to revitalise the organisation and this led to the ANC becoming largely ineffectual and inactive, until the mid-1940s when the ANC was remodelled as a mass movement. The ANC responded to attacks on the rights of black South Africans, as well as calling for strikes, boycotts and this led to a later Defiance Campaign in the 1950s, a mass movement of resistance to apartheid. The government tried to stop the ANC by banning party leaders and enacting new laws to stop the ANC, the government claimed that this was a communist document, and consequently leaders of the ANC and Congress were arrested. 1960 saw the Sharpeville massacre, in which 69 people were killed when police opened fire on anti-apartheid protesters, in 1961, partly in response to the Sharpeville massacre, Umkhonto we Sizwe was established as the military wing to launch bomb attacks. It was considered as terrorist group by South African government, later the United States government, MK commenced the military struggle against apartheid with acts of sabotage aimed at the installations of the state, and in the early stages was reluctant to target civilian targets. MK was responsible for the deaths of civilians and members of the military
14.
Bloemfontein
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Bloemfontein is the capital city of the province of Free State of South Africa, and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africas three national capitals. Bloemfontein is the sixth largest city in South Africa, Bloemfontein was popularly and poetically known as the city of roses, owing to the abundance of these flowers and the annual rose festival held there. The citys Sesotho name is Mangaung, meaning place of cheetahs, Bloemfontein has since 2011 formed part of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, having previously been part of the Mangaung Local Municipality. Bloemfontein is situated at an altitude of 1,395 m above sea level, the city is home to 369,568 residents, while the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 645,455. Although modern day Bloemfontein has a reputation for its flowers in an arid region. Bloemfontein literally means fountain of flowers or flower spring in Dutch, with colonial policy shifts, the region changed into the Orange River Sovereignty and eventually the Orange Free State Republic. From 1902–10 it served as the capital of the Orange River Colony, in 1910 it became the Judicial capital of the Union of South Africa. Warden originally chose the site largely because of its proximity to the route to Winburg, the spacious open country. Bloemfontein was the farm of Johannes Nicolaas Brits born 21 February 1790, owner. Johann – as he was known – sold the farm to Maj Warden, as the capital of the Orange Free State Republic the growth and maturing of the Republic resulted in the growth of the town. Numerous public buildings remain in use today were constructed. This was largely facilitated by the excellent governance of the Republic, the old Orange Free States presidential residence the Old Presidency is currently a museum and cultural space in the city. A railway line was built in 1890 connecting Bloemfontein to Cape Town. The writer J. R. R. Tolkien was born in the city on 3 January 1892, though his family left South Africa following the death of his father, Arthur Tolkien and he recorded that his earliest memories were of a hot country. In 1899 the city was the site of the Bloemfontein Conference, the conference was a final attempt to avert a war between Britain and the South African Republic. With its failure the stage was set for war, which broke out on 11 October 1899, the rail line from Cape Town provided a centrally located railway station, and proved critical to the British in occupying the city later. On 13 March 1900, following the Battle of Paardeberg, British forces captured the city and built a concentration camp nearby to house Boer women and children. The National Womens Monument, on the outskirts of the city, the hill in town was named Naval Hill after the naval guns brought in by the British in order to fortify the position against attack
15.
John Langalibalele Dube
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John Langalibalele Dube was a South African essayist, philosopher, educator, politician, publisher, editor, novelist and poet. He was the president of the South African Native National Congress. Dube served as SANNC president between 1912 and 1917, Dube was brought to America by returning missionaries and attended Oberlin College. His father, the Rev. James Dube, was one of the first ordained African pastors of the AZM, Dube began his formal education in Inanda and Adams College, Amanzimtoti. The Reverend William Cullen Wilcox was called in to talk to Dube who was misbehaving at the Adams School and his father James Dube was then the Congregational minister at Inanda. In 1887 the Wilcox family were returning to the United States and John Dube, the Cullens agreed on the condition that Dube was to maintain himself financially, however they advised him and William found him his first work on the road gang when he arrived in America. Dube studied at Oberlin College and, although he studied printing and self-help, Dube was born of royal lineage and was, by right, a chief of the Qadi tribe. Because of his fathers conversion to Christianity by early missionaries in pre-republic South Africa, Dubes name was actually Ngcobo, who had the chieftaincy of the Qadi people of the Zulu. For a missionary-educated person there was conflict between the newly arrived Western education and African traditional society, however, Dube navigated this social schism with a statesman-like ability, as in his later years, when he was able to win the trust of the Zulu royal family. It is conceivable that Dube would never have been part of the SANC, except that his teaching and it is now fashionable for biased historians to mention Dubes conservatism as evidence of his eventual parting of ways with ANC. But, actually, the truth is that the ANC was never a radical movement on the call of such issues as universal suffrage until it was radicalised by the formation of the ANC Youth League in the 1940s. Dubes speeches as president of a black political mass-movement have never made available. Dube was also an educator, a speaker of note on the circuit engaging whites in lectures around the country. In 1901 he and his first wife, Nokutela Dube, founded the Zulu Christian Industrial School which is now the Ohlange High School at Ohlange, near Phoenix and this was the first educational institution in South Africa to be founded by black people. He gave lecturers by invitation and he was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy as a result, Dube had identified the need to combine Western education with local customs and traditions, all grounded in broad African communal behaviour. His theories on education are found in both Ukuziphatha and in Isita and he was among the pioneering men of letters who helped to establish Zulu literature. Dubes first published work was an essay in English on self-improvement, the work that was to earn him the honorary doctorate of philosophy was the essay Umuntu Isita Sake Uqobo Lwake. He went on to publish a novella that has proven to be popular
16.
Durban
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Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Durbans metropolitan municipality ranks third among the most populous areas in South Africa after Johannesburg. It is also the second most important manufacturing hub in South Africa after Johannesburg and it forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa and it is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism because of the citys warm subtropical climate and extensive beaches. It is the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal which is the 2nd most populous province in South Africa and it has the highest number of dollar millionaires added per year of any South African city with the number rising 200% between 2000 and 2014. In May 2015, Durban was officially recognised as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Vigan, Doha, La Paz, Havana, Beirut, archaeological evidence from the Drakensberg mountains suggests that the Durban area has been inhabited by communities of hunter-gatherers since 100,000 BC. He named the area Natal, or Christmas in Portuguese, accompanying Farewell was an adventurer named Henry Francis Fynn. Fynn was able to befriend the Zulu King Shaka by helping him to recover from a wound he suffered in battle. As a token of Shakas gratitude, he granted Fynn a 30-mile strip of coast a hundred miles in depth. During a meeting of 35 European residents in Fynns territory on 23 June 1835, it was decided to build a town and name it dUrban after Sir Benjamin dUrban. The Voortrekkers established the Republic of Natalia in 1838, with its capital at Pietermaritzburg, piet Retief, leader of the Voortrekkers in Natal, negotiated with the Zulu King, Dingane, in order to obtain land for their farming purposes. After negotiations were concluded, Dingane however reneged and had Retief, thereafter the Zulus attacked and killed more than 500 Voortrekkers at Retiefs laager. The Voortrekkers retaliated and broke Dinganes power at the Battle of Blood River, the force arrived on 4 May 1842 and built a fortification that was later to be The Old Fort. On the night of 23/24 May 1842 the British attacked the Voortrekker camp at Congella, the attack failed, and the British had to withdraw to their camp which was put under siege. A local trader Dick King and his servant Ndongeni were able to escape the blockade and rode to Grahamstown, the reinforcements arrived in Durban 20 days later, the Voortrekkers retreated, and the siege was lifted. Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to the evacuation of Durban, a British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers emigrated from Europe and the Cape Colony. The British established a sugar industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work on their plantations, as a result of the importation of Indian labourers, Durban has the largest Asian community on the African continent, and has the largest Indian population outside of India
17.
Red Ensign
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The Red Ensign or Red Duster is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain and it is the flag flown by British Merchant ships since 1707. Prior to 1707 an English red ensign and a Scottish red ensign were flown by the English and Scottish navies respectively. The precise date of the first appearance of these earlier red ensigns is not known, in 1674, a Royal Proclamation of Charles II confirmed that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag to be worn by English merchant ships. The wording of the 1674 proclamation indicates that the flag was customarily being used by English merchantmen before that date, at this time, the ensign displayed the English Cross of St George in the canton. It is probable that the cross-saltire was adopted by the Scots as an ensign at a very early period. The earliest Scottish records were lost at sea in the ship that was sent to them to that country, whence they had been carried off, with the Stone of Destiny. Prior to 1707 the Scottish Red Ensign was flown by ships of the Royal Scots Navy and this resulted in a new red ensign which placed the first Union Flag in the first quarter. The new design of the Red Ensign was proclaimed by Queen Anne and this was the flag flown by ships of the thirteen American colonies before the American Revolution and was a precursor to the colonies Grand Union Flag. In 1801, with another Act of Union, Ireland joined with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the St Patricks Cross was added to the Union Flag and, accordingly, to the first quarters of the British ensigns. In 1854, the Merchant Shipping Act included a provision that the Red Ensign was the appropriate flag for a British merchantman. This provision was repeated in successive British shipping legislation, the white ensign and the blue ensign were also used by the Royal Navy. Many in the Admiralty felt that the Royal Navys use of three separate ensigns was outdated and confusing, many also felt that steam merchantmen should be clearly distinguishable from warships. In July 1864, an order-in-council provided that the White Ensign was the ensign of the Royal Naval Service, the Blue Ensign was designated as the proper national colours for ships commanded by an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve, and as national colours for ships in government service. The Red Ensign was assigned to British merchantmen, most British colonies needed to use the blue ensign due to the fact that most had government vessels, some colonies, such as South Australia, had warships. As a result, the Blue Ensign was used throughout the Empire and thus became the model for the used by a number of colonies. At the same time, the red ensign was used by merchantmen of those colonies which obtained an Admiralty warrant. Not all colonies obtained an Admiralty warrant, however, the ones that did tended to be larger and those areas that did not have an Admiralty warrant used the plain Red Ensign, although unofficial local versions of the Red Ensign were used
18.
Flag of South Africa
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The flag of South Africa was adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africas 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928. The new national flag, designed by the then State Herald of South Africa Frederick Brownell, was chosen to represent the new democracy after the end of Apartheid. The flag has horizontal bands of red and blue, of width, separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y shape. The Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by yellow bands. The stripes at the fly end are in the 5,1,3,1,5 ratio, at the time of its adoption, the South African flag was the only national flag in the world to comprise six colours in its primary design. The other three – red, white and blue – are displayed on the Dutch tricolour and the British Union flag and are said represent the white population. The green pall is commonly interpreted to mean the unification of the ethnic groups. The design therefore represents a converging of paths, the merging of both the past and the present, the Anglo-Boer War between 1899 and 1902 ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902 and resulted in what is now South Africa falling under the British Union Flag. The former Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek became British colonies along with the existing Cape, each was also entitled to a colonial flag following in the British tradition. On 31 May 1910 these four colonies came together to form the Union of South Africa, once again, as a British dominion the British Union Flag was to continue as the national flag and the standard British ensign pattern was used as a basis for distinctive South African flags. These ensigns were not intended to be used as the Unions national flag, although these ensigns were primarily intended for maritime use, they were also flown on land. These flags never enjoyed popular support due to the animosities lingering after the Anglo-Boer War. This provoked often violent controversy that lasted for three years based on whether the British Union Flag should be included in the new design or not. The Natal Province even threatened to secede from the Union should it be decided to remove it, finally, a compromise was reached that resulted in the adoption of a separate flag for the Union in late 1927 and the design was first hoisted on 31 May 1928. The design was based on the so-called Van Riebeeck flag or Prinsenvlag that was originally the Dutch flag, it consisted of orange, white, a version of this flag had been used as the flag of the Dutch East India Company at the Cape from 1652 until 1795. The South African addition to the design was the inclusion of three smaller flags centred in the white stripe, the miniature flags were the British Union Flag towards the hoist, the flag of the Orange Free State hanging vertically in the middle and the Transvaal Vierkleur towards the fly. The position of each of the flags is such that each has equal status. That the Orange Free State flag, since it hangs vertically, is higher than the two, is a plus factor
19.
Hobhouse, Free State
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Hobhouse is a small farming town in the Free State province of South Africa, named after welfare campaigner Emily Hobhouse. Maize, wheat, cheese and livestock are produced here, town 32 km north-east of Wepener and 51 km south-west of Ladybrand, near the Lesotho border. It was laid out on the farm Poortjie in 1912 and attained municipal status in 1913, named after Emily Hobhouse, author and philanthropist who brought to public notice abuses in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War
20.
Walter Sisulu
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Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress, serving at times as Secretary-General and Deputy President of the organization. He was jailed at Robben Island, where he served more than 25 years imprisonment, Sisulu was born in Ngcobo in the Union of South Africa. His mother, Alice Mase Sisulu, was a Xhosa domestic worker and his father, Dickenson worked in the Railway Department of the Cape Colony from 1903 to 1909 and was transferred to the Office of the Chief Magistrate in Umtata in 1910. His mother was related to Evelyn Mase, Nelson Mandelas first wife, Dickenson did not play a part in his sons upbringing, and the boy and his sister, Rosabella, were raised by his mothers family, who were descended from the Thembu clan. Educated in a missionary school, he left in 1926 to find work. He moved to Johannesburg in 1928 and did a wide range of manual jobs and he founded Sitha Investments in 1939. It was situated at Barclay Arcade between West Street and Commissioner Street in the district of Johannesburg. Its objective is to help blacks and Indians to buy houses in Apartheid South Africa, during its operations, Sitha was the only black-owned estate agency in South Africa. He married Albertina in 1944, Nelson Mandela was his best man at their wedding, the couple had five children, and adopted four more. Sisulus wife and children were active in the struggle against apartheid. An adopted daughter, Beryl Rose Sisulu, served as ambassador from the Republic of South Africa to Norway and he joined the ANC in 1941. In 1943, together with Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, he joined the ANC Youth League, founded by Anton Lembede and he later distanced himself from Lembede after Lembede, who died in 1947, had ridiculed his parentage. Sisulu was a political networker and had a prominent planning role in the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe and he was made secretary general of the ANC in 1949, displacing the more passive older leadership, and held that post until 1954. He also joined the South African Communist Party, as a planner of the Defiance Campaign from 1952, he was arrested that year and given a suspended sentence. In 1953, he travelled to Europe, the USSR, Israel and he was jailed seven times in the next ten years, including five months in 1960, and was held under house arrest in 1962. At the Treason Trial, he was sentenced to six years. He went underground in 1963, resulting in his wife being the first woman arrested under the General Laws Amendment Act of 1963 and he was caught at Rivonia on 11 July, along with 16 others. At the conclusion of the Rivonia Trial, he was sentenced to imprisonment on 12 June 1964
21.
Julius Wernher
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Sir Julius Charles Wernher, 1st Baronet was a German-born Randlord and art collector who became part of the English establishment. Born in Darmstadt, Hesse, Wernher was the son of an engineer of Protestant stock. He was educated at Frankfurt-am-Main, where he entered a merchant bank, in 1871, having served in the Franco-German War, he moved to London at the age of 21. Wernher bought up mining interests and by 1875 was a member of the Kimberley mining board, in that same year, Porgès and Alfred Beit joined him in Kimberley, and Porgès formed the Compagnie Française des Mines de Diamants du Cap. Porgès returned to London after having made Wernher and Beit partners in the firm of Jules Porgès & Co, by 1884 Wernher returned to London and traded in diamond shares, while Beit remained in Kimberley to look after their interests. On Porgès retirement in 1889, the firm was restructured and named Wernher, Wernher by now was managing over 70 South African companies from his London office, and developing a passion for collecting art. He was created a baronet in 1905, as well as being a member of the Order of the Crown of Prussia. Despite having a reputation for prudence in business, Wernher was swindled out of £64,000 in 1906 by Henri Lemoine, who claimed he could make synthetic diamonds. Beset by failing health in 1911, Wernher merged the shareholdings of Wernher, Beit & Co. with those of Central Mining and Investment Corporation, besides his interest in art, Wernher funded an extension to the National Physical Laboratory. He also bequeathed £250,000 to establishing a university in Cape Town, at the time of his death in London, he was one of the richest men in the United Kingdom with a fortune of £12 million. This accumulation of wealth was due to his level-headedness and attention to detail, in contrast, Beit was shrewd but impulsive, leading to fiascos like the Jameson Raid. Wernher kept his art collection at his London mansion, Bath House in Piccadilly, much of it is now on display at Rangers House in the London suburb of Greenwich. A large memorial to Wernher now flanks the entrance to the Royal School of Mines in London, on 12 June 1888 Julius married socialite Alice Sedgwick Mankiewicz, nicknamed Birdie, whom he described as bright-eyed, fair-haired, small, intelligent and musical. She was the daughter of Jacob James Mankiewicz from Danzig, the son of Joel Mankiewicz and her mother was Ada Susan Pigott from Colchester, who had a brother who was a General. Birdie and her mother lived in part of a big house in Bayswater. Sir Harold Augustus Wernher, 3rd Bt, X Countess Anastasia Mikhailovna de Torby, daughter of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia and Sophie Nikolaievna von Merenberg, Countess de Torby Captain George Michael Alexander Wernher. Killed in action Georgina Wernher × London 10 October 1944 Lt. -Col, Harold Pedro Joseph Phillips, son of Colonel Joseph Harold John Phillips, xx London December 1992 Lt. -Col. Sir George Arnold Ford Kennard, 3rd Bt. son of Sir Coleridge Arthur Fitzroy Kennard, 1st Bt. and she had 5 children from her first marriage
22.
South African Class ME 2-6-6-2
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The South African Railways Class ME 2-6-6-2 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. In January 1912, the South African Railways placed a single Class ME Mallet articulated steam locomotive with a 2-6-6-2 wheel arrangement in service. During 1911, the Central South African Railways placed an order for a single experimental simple expansion Mallet articulated steam locomotive with the North British Locomotive Company, the locomotive was intended for test purposes on branch lines with light 45 pounds per yard rail. By the time it was delivered in January 1912, the CSAR had already become part of the newly established South African Railways, the locomotive was therefore classified as the sole Class ME and numbered 1618 on the SAR roster. Having been built for branch line working, the maximum axle load was 9 long tons 18 hundredweight. Its Belpaire firebox extended over the second and third coupled wheels of the engine unit. The cylinders were arranged outside the frames and the 6 inches diameter trick-ported piston valves. Each engine unit was equipped with an independent Wakefield mechanical lubricator to supply oil to the valves, the boiler was equipped with a Schmidt superheater. This pipe took the place of the receiver pipe on compound Mallets. The blast pipe had separate outlets for the exhaust steam from each engine unit, a device was installed by which either engine unit could be cut out whilst running so that steam could be admitted to one pair of cylinders only when running light engine. The Class ME proved to be successful in operation and, even though it was acquired as an experimental locomotive and it spent its last years working on the line from Nelspruit to Sabie in the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld, until it was withdrawn and scrapped in 1937
23.
South African Class MC 2-6-6-0
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The South African Railways Class MC 2-6-6-0 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. In 1912, the South African Railways placed ten Class MC Mallet articulated compound steam locomotives with a 2-6-6-0 wheel arrangement in service in Natal and they were delivered and placed in service in May 1912, designated Class MC and numbered in the range from 1607 to 1616. In a compound locomotive, steam is expanded in phases, in the compound Mallet locomotive, the rear set of coupled wheels are driven by the smaller high-pressure cylinders, which are fed steam from the steam dome. Their spent steam is fed to the larger low-pressure cylinders. By comparison, in the usual arrangement of simple expansion. Like the previous Mallets, these ten locomotives had Walschaerts valve gear. The high-pressure cylinders of the engine unit were equipped with piston valves while the low-pressure cylinders of the front engine unit were equipped with slide valves. The Class MC were satisfactory locomotives, but, like the earlier Mallet compounds, two of them, numbers 1612 and 1615, were later equipped with new boilers and superheaters and their coupled wheels were retyred to a diameter of 46 inches. No others were modified in this manner, the Class MC joined the Class MA and MB fleet on the Natal mainline, working heavy coal trains between Estcourt and Highlands. In later years, some were transferred to the Cape Western System, others were transferred to the Witwatersrand for general service and to haul coal on the Witbank line. They were withdrawn from service during 1933
24.
South African Class 3B 4-8-2
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The South African Railways Class 3B 4-8-2 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. Upon delivery, they were taken directly onto the SAR roster, numbered in the range from 1479 to 1488. The first of these entered service in February 1912. Like the NGR Class Hendrie D which it was based on and which was designated the SAR Class 3. They were the first of Hendries designs to have superheaters and, as a result and they also sported a new design of leading bogie with cast-steel framing and three-point suspension links. To accommodate the redesigned cylinders and the alteration to the Walschaerts valve gear. This resulted in the gentle sweeps at either end where the running boards dropped down to the buffer beam and these curves became a Hendrie hallmark and enhanced the appearance of the locomotive. In other respects, however, they were identical to the Class 3. The locomotives were delivered with Type TM tenders with an 8 long tons 5 hundredweight coal capacity, when the coupled wheels were retyred, their diameter on tread was increased from 45 1⁄2 to 46 inches. This reduced their tractive effort to 35,030 pounds-force at 75% of boiler pressure, the engines, as built, had flangeless wheels on the leading coupled axle, but these were subsequently also flanged as shown in official SAR dimensional locomotive drawings. The superheated Class 3B 4-8-2 Mountain type became the forerunner of the most numerous type of steam locomotive to be used in South Africa. In the 1930s, many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard type designed by then Chief Mechanical Engineer A. G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an R suffix to their classification, when all ten Class 3B locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no.2 boilers, they were therefore reclassified to Class 3BR. Reboilering raised their boiler pitch by 1 inch, while the pressure was set at 190 pounds per square inch. Their original Belpaire boilers were fitted with Ramsbottom safety valves, while the Watson Standard boiler was fitted with Pop safety valves, probably at the same time, their Type TM tenders were rebuilt to the more attractive smooth-sided Type TL tenders. In the case of the Class 3BR locomotive, a more obvious visual distinction is the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and the boiler. The Class 3B was placed in service on the section of the Natal mainline. They were later used in the Eastern Transvaal and the Eastern Cape
25.
South African Class 5 4-6-2
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The South African Railways Class 5 4-6-2 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. The locomotives were numbered directly onto the South African Railways roster. The CGRs Enlarged Karoo, designed by H. M, the locomotives were designated Class 5 and numbered in the range from 780 to 783. They entered service during November 1912, the Class 5 was a larger and heavier version of the Class 5B, with a higher pitched boiler, Belpaire firebox, larger diameter leading and coupled wheels and larger cylinders. The cylinders were arranged outside the bar frames, with balanced Richardson type D slide valves arranged above the cylinders and actuated by Stephenson valve gear through rocker shafts. In the 1930s, many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard boiler type, such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an R suffix to their classification. During 1935, only one of the Class 5 locomotives, no,781, was reboilered with a Watson Standard no.1 boiler and reclassified to Class 5R. The most obvious difference between the Class 5 and Class 5R is the absence of the Belpaire firebox hump between the cab and boiler on the reboilered locomotive, during the reboilering process, the engine was also equipped with a superheater and underwent several other modifications. It was fitted with larger bore cylinders similar to those of the Class 15B, with piston valves, the diameter of the coupled wheels was increased from 61 to 62 inches. The hind end of the frame was redesigned and the casting was removed and replaced by a frame plate, riveted to the main bar frame. A new steel casting, extending across and over the frame, added rigidity. A new design of drag box was installed, while the trailing Bissel truck remained unaltered, its side control was re-designed and a new compensating beam and support pivot was fitted. Grease-lubricated axle boxes were fitted to all coupled wheels and new coupling and connecting rods of a design were installed. The overall length of the engine and tender was increased by 1 3⁄8 in and their original boilers were fitted with Ramsbottom safety valves, while the Watson Standard boiler was fitted with Pop safety valves. The engines were placed in service on passenger service between Cape Town and Touws River, where they remained until the loads became too heavy for them. From about 1928, they were used on services, chiefly being employed to haul suburban passenger trains from Cape Town to the Strand. The three Class 5 locomotives were withdrawn from service by 1942, but the sole Class 5R remained in service for another 27 years and it was only withdrawn occasionally for maintenance in the locomotive depot or for heavy repairs in the shops. During this time, it attained a speed of 60 miles per hour while en route between Cape Town and Bellville
26.
South African Class 12 4-8-2
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The South African Railways Class 12 4-8-2 of 1912 was a steam locomotive. Between April 1912 and 1922, the South African Railways placed altogether 46 Class 12 steam locomotives with a 4-8-2 Mountain type wheel arrangement in goods train service, design work commenced in 1910 for a new heavy goods engine for use on the heavy coal service between Witbank and Germiston. The resulting Class 12 was the first locomotive design to originate from the newly established South African Railways in 1912. It was, in effect, a version of the already successful Class 3B which had also been designed by SAR Chief Mechanical Engineer D. A. Hendrie during his years on the Natal Government Railways. Orders for the first eight locomotives in the Class were placed on 22 March 1911 and they were built in two batches of four, the first of which was delivered from North British Locomotive Company in April 1912, numbered in the range from 1494 to 1497. The second batch, numbered in the range from 1498 to 1501 and these first eight locomotives had bogies with a 6 feet wheelbase. These engines were followed by eight in August 1913, numbered in the range from 1502 to 1509. These and all subsequent Class 12 locomotives had leading bogies with a 6 feet 2 inches wheelbase and these locomotives were also 2 inches longer between couplers than the first eight. In June 1921, Beyer, Peacock and Company delivered the final twenty Class 12 locomotives, when the Class 12 was introduced, it was the largest non-articulated engine in South Africa and possibly in the world on railways of less than 4 feet 8 1⁄2 inches gauge. The first eight locomotives had cast steel frames for the bogies with three-point suspension links. On subsequent engines, this arrangement was modified to the two-point swing-link type controlled by laminated side springs, the locomotives were built with plate frames, Walschaerts valve gear, superheaters and Belpaire fireboxes. It was designed to have as short a fixed wheelbase as possible, as built, the leading coupled axle had flangeless wheels, but it was subsequently retyred with flanges. The NBL-built locomotives were similar in appearance to the Class 3B, with running boards which curved down below the cab at the rear. The only major design alteration between the NBL and BP locomotive orders was to the cab, with the earlier cabs, many drivers wore leather guards on their left legs to protect them from the heat when the fire door was open. The BP-built locomotives had larger and more spacious cabs to provide increased comfort for the enginemen, the Class 12 locomotives introduced a new Type MP1 tender with a coal capacity of 10 long tons and a water capacity of 4,250 imperial gallons. This marked the introduction of a tender type which, with few modifications, was eventually to be used on all the Hendrie-designed locomotives. During the 1930s, many serving locomotives were reboilered with a standard type designed by then CME A. G. Watson as part of his standardisation policy. Such Watson Standard reboilered locomotives were reclassified by adding an R suffix to their classification, from 1935, all 46 Class 12 locomotives were eventually reboilered with Watson Standard no.2 boilers and reclassified to Class 12R
27.
Wepener
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Wepener is a village in the Free State, South Africa, located near the border with Lesotho. The town is named after Louw Wepener, the leader of the Boers in their war with the Basotho chief Moshoeshoe I in 1865 and it was founded in 1867 on the banks of Jammersbergspruit, a tributary of the Caledon River. The Jammerberg towers over the village, Louw Wepener was killed in 1865 while trying to storm Moshoeshoes stronghold of Thaba Bosiu. One of the local schools is also named after him. Wepener was the southernmost of several settlements founded by the Free Staters in the territories to prevent the Basotho from resettling the land taken from them during the war of 1865. The Dutch Reformed parish was established in 1870 and the town was granted its first management board in 1875, the beautiful sandstone Dutch Reformed church was designed by a Welsh architect. The design of the church reflected his heritage - the Prince of Waless feathers adorn the steeple, the siege lasted 17 days, until reinforcements arrived on April 25,1900 to end the battle in favour of the British. The district of Wepener was the scene of battles, raids. Many graves, mostly without identification, still exist as reminders of the events in the valley of Jammerbergspruit during this stormy period, today the town is a commercial center for a 1,725 square km district where mixed farming is practised. Farming activities include cattle and sheep ranching, dairy farming and the cultivation of wheat, There are two hotels in Wepener, The Wepener Hotel and the Lord Frasers Guest House. Lord Frasers was the residence of Lord Ian Fraser of Lonsdale. He was the chairman of the board of the once powerful retail business, Frasers, the Fleetwood Country Inn is situated about 5 miles outside the town. There are leisure facilities at the nearby Knelpoort and Welbedacht dams. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
28.
Wolseley, Western Cape
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Wolseley is a small town in the upper Breede River Valley region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 12,130 people and it is located 90 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, in the Land van Waveren valley between the Waterval Mountains to the west and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east. It is 15 kilometres south of Tulbagh,12 kilometres southwest of Ceres, Wolseley is divided between wards 2 and 7 of the Witzenberg Local Municipality, which has its headquarters at Ceres. Wolseley is located just off the R46 regional route, which runs north to Tulbagh and the Nuwekloof Pass to the Swartland, the R43 regional route begins nearby at a junction with the R46, and runs south to the N1 national route at Worcester. The R43 also connects to the R301 over Bains Kloof Pass to Wellington and it is also situated on the main railway line from Cape Town to the interior. Wolseley railway station is served by Metrorails Boland Blitz service, with one train per day in the morning from Worcester to Cape Town, Wolseley is also the junction for the now-closed branch line to Ceres. In the novel by South African author John J le Grange, Wolseley is home to the family of three who travel to Cape Town looking for a better fortune, as well as being the title to the book
29.
Ceres, Western Cape
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Ceres is the administrative centre and largest town of the Witzenberg Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Ceres serves as a centre for the surrounding towns of Wolseley, Tulbagh, Op-die-Berg. It is situated in the Warmbokkeveld Valley about 170 km north-east of Cape Town, Ceres experiences a typical Mediterranean climate tempered by its altitude. Total annual precipitation averages 1088 mm, with temperatures ranging from a February maximum of 29,9 °C to a July minimum of 2,4 °C. The Warmbokkeveld is climatically warmer than the highlands, which is known as the Kouebokkeveld. Ceres is well known for fruit juices exported worldwide bearing the towns name, South Africa is one of the most stable parts of the world in seismic terms but on 29 September 1969 a massive shock shook the district without warning. Many old Cape Dutch buildings were damaged and some lives were lost, the quake was strong enough to knock plaster off walls in Cape Town, a hundred miles away. De Wet Barry - Rugby union player, Springbok Christiaan Barnard—first surgeon to perform a successful heart transplant operation spent the early years of his medical practice in Ceres. The motto was Loci dulcedo nos attinet, municipal — The council assumed a proper coat of arms, designed by Ivan Mitford-Barberton and H. Ellis Tomlinson, in 1948. This was in response to a Cape Provincial Administration circular asking municipalities to have their arms checked and, if necessary, re-designed, the new arms were registered at the Bureau of Heraldry in March 1974. The motto was the same as before, Ceres Transport Riders’ Museum Ceres Tourism Ceres Museum
30.
Hofmeyr
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Hofmeyr is a small Karoo town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa,20 km west of the Bamboesberg mountain range. It lies 64 km north-east of Cradock at an altitude of 1,252 metres, according to the 2011 census, the population of Hofmeyr proper is about 326 persons and the neighbouring township of Luxolweni is about 3354. In former times it lay at the centre of a flourishing sheep-farming district, founded in 1873, the town was initially named Maraisburg. The Hofmeyr Skull, belonging to a 36,000 year old modern human, was found in 1952 in the dry wash of the Vlekpoort River just outside Hofmeyr
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Ottery, Cape Town
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Ottery is a suburb in Cape Town, South Africa. It is on the edge of the Southern Suburbs, the Youngsfield Military Base, Royal Cape Golf Club and Cape Towns official China Town are located in the suburb. Every year the Youngsfield Military Base in Ottery hosts the Cape Argus Junior Cycle Tour on 12 March, there is an Ottery train station present and is on the Cape Flats line, which connects Heathfield to Cape Town via Athlone. The Ottery station was built in 1904, the line was built for private use and was acquired as government property on 1 July 1908. The Golden Arrow busses pass the Ottery centre as well, part of the Wynberg to Khayelitsha route, minibus taxis pass through Ottery on Ottery Road, en route to Wynberg from Lotus River and Mitchells Plain respectively. The retail park cost R45 million to construct, the Ottery centre is a popular shopping centre in and around Cape Towns Southern suburbs. It is also one of the oldest shopping centres in the Southern suburbs. There is a host of shops including a Pick n Pay Hypermarket with Pick n Pay liquor store, Spur, Nandos, clothing shops. The Ottery centre recently underwent a refurbishment which made it more stylish. Makro has a branch in Ottery, one of three in the Western Cape, on the corner of Ottery and Old Standfontein Road, Ottery is bordered by Plumstead to the west, Philippi to the east and Kenilworth to the north west. The suburb can be accessed from the M5 freeway to the west of the suburb, Ottery Library is available on the corner of Bruce and Edwards Roads, contact, Mrs. T Muir - Tel,0217036663
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