1917 in South Africa

	1917 in South Africa
1914 1915 1916 « 1917 » 1918 1919 1920
List of years in South Africa

Events

January

• 16 – The SS Mendi, a troopship, sets sail from Cape Town to Le Havre, France, transporting 823 members of the 802nd South African Native Labour Corps.

February

• 21 – The SS Mendi is struck on the starboard side by the SS Darro, an 11,000 ton liner, and sinks with 646 people losing their lives.

September

• The Industrial Workers of Africa (IWA), the first predominantly black trade union in South Africa, is established in Johannesburg.

Unknown date

• The Castle in Cape Town is handed over to the South African Defence Force.
• Gold mining company Anglo American Corporation is founded by Ernest Oppenheimer.

Births

• 27 October – Oliver Reginald Tambo is born in Bizana.
• 20 December – Petrus Hendrik Hugo, World War II fighter pilot.

Deaths

• 18 January – Andrew Murray, author, educationist and pastor, dies at the age of 88.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 5 March – Natal – Izingolweni to Harding (Narrow gauge), 39 miles 56 chains (63.9 kilometres).^[1]
• 20 June – Natal – Gingindlovu to Eshowe, 20 miles 2 chains (32.2 kilometres).^[1]

Locomotives

• Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
  • November – Ten Class 16B 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives.^[2]:34
  • Seven Class K 4-6-4 tank locomotives that had been built for the Philippines but could not be delivered.^[2]:33–34

References

1. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 188, ref. no. 200954-13
2. Holland, D.F. (1972). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 2: 1910-1955 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-5427-8.