The following lists events that happened during 1981 in South Africa.

1981
in
South Africa

Decades:
See also:

Incumbents

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Events

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January
February
April
May
  • 6 – The railway in the Hoedspruit area is damaged.
  • 14 – The United Nations General Assembly publishes a blacklist of 65 multi-national companies and some 270 sports persons who have links with South Africa.
  • 21 – A bomb explodes and damages the Port Elizabeth rail link to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
  • 25 – A pamphlet bomb explodes in Durban.
  • 25 – The Fort Jackson Police station is attacked.
  • 25 – The railway line near Soweto is damaged.
  • 25 – The railway line on the Natal South Coast is damaged.
  • 25 – Power lines are cut in Vrede.
  • 25 – A series of terrorist actions in support of Republic Day protests are admitted by Umkhonto we Sizwe.
  • 27 – A bomb explodes in Durban destroying a South African Defence Force recruiting building.[4][5]


June
  • 1 – Three offices of the Progressive Federal Party are firebombed in Johannesburg, with no injuries.
  • 4 – The police station in Meyerton is attacked by terrorists.
  • 11 – The railway line on the Natal North coast is maliciously damaged.
  • 16 – The railway line near East London is maliciously damaged.
  • 26 – Two bombs explode at the Durban Cenotaph.
  • 28 – The railway near Empangeni is maliciously damaged.
  • 30 – Zwelakhe Sisulu, President of the Black Media Workers Association of South Africa, is arrested under the Internal Security Act.
July
  • 3 – A limpet mine is found at the fuel storage yard in Alberton and defused.
  • 21 – Six bomb explosions at sub-stations in Pretoria, Middelburg, and Ermelo disrupt power supply.
  • 26 – Two bombs explode at 05:50 and 06:10 in central Durban. Three people are injured and extensive damage is caused to motor vehicle firms.
August
September
  • 2 – Two policemen and two civilians, one a child, are killed during an attack on Mabopane Police station.
  • 12 – A bomb damages the main railway line at Delville Wood near Durban.
October
  • 10 – Umkhonto we Sizwe attacks government offices of the Department of Co-operation and Development. Four civilians are injured.
  • 21 – Umkhonto we Sizwe destroys a transformer in Evander and a water pipeline feeding Sasol III (Secunda CTL) in Secunda.
  • 26 – Two policemen are killed during an attack on Sibasa Police station.
November
December
  • 4 – South Africa grants Ciskei independence.
  • 9 – The offices of the Chief Commissioner of the Department of Co-operation and Development in Cape Town is attacked.
  • 14 – A Pretoria sub-station is bombed.
  • 23 – Eastern Cape provincial buildings in Duncan Village are damaged in an Umkhonto we Sizwe attack.
  • 26 – The Wonderboompoort Police station is attacked.
Unknown date

Births

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Deaths

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Railways

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Class 26 Red Devil
 
Class 37-000 GM-EMD GT26M2C

Locomotives

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Sports

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Athletics

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Rugby

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  • 30 May – The South African Springboks beat Ireland 23–15.
  • 6 June – The Springboks beat Ireland 12–10.
  • 14 August – The South African Springbok tour in New Zealand elicits protests.

References

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  1. ^ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1961-1994 (Accessed on 14 April 2017)
  2. ^ Jeffery, Anthea (2009). People's War - New Light on the Struggle for South Africa (1st ed.). Johannesburg & Cape Town: Jonathan Ball Publishers. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-86842-357-6.
  3. ^ "History Retrieved 1 October 2010". Archived from the original on 2 January 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  4. ^ "GTD ID:198105270005". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  5. ^ "GTD ID:198105270006". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ^ The Ultimate Steam Page
  7. ^ a b South African Railways Index and Diagrams Electric and Diesel Locomotives, 610mm and 1065mm Gauges, Ref LXD 14/1/100/20, 28 January 1975, as amended
  8. ^ Middleton, John N. (2002). Railways of Southern Africa Locomotive Guide - 2002 (as amended by Combined Amendment List 4, January 2009) (2nd, Dec 2002 ed.). Herts, England: Beyer-Garratt Publications. pp. 38, 44.
  9. ^ Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. pp. 128–129. ISBN 0869772112.