1953 in South Africa

[[Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|border|35px|alt=	link=Union ofSouth Africa]]	1953 in South Africa	[[Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|border|35px|alt=	link=Union ofSouth Africa]]
1950 1951 1952 « 1953 » 1954 1955 1956
List of years in South Africa

Events

May

• 9 – The Liberal Party of South Africa is formed in Cape Town by Alan Paton.

July

• 29 – Santam Insurance Company is registered, following the separation of trust and insurance operations.

September

• Mimi Coertse leaves South Africa for London.

December

• 18–20 – The 42nd Annual Conference of the African National Congress takes place in Queenstown.

Unknown date

• The Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), banned by the National Party government, relaunches itself underground as the South African Communist Party (SACP).

Births

• 13 January – Derek Hanekom, activist and politician, is born in Cape Town.
• 30 January – Paul Emile Rossouw, athlete, is born in Springs.

Deaths

• 14 March – Sir Robert N. Kotzé, a mining engineer who did much for the promotion of safety in mines, dies in Cape Town at the age of 82.
• 1 July – Totius, Afrikaans poet, dies in Pretoria at the age of 76.

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 14 October – Cape – Lohatla to Sishen, 17 miles 3 chains (27.4 kilometres).^[1]

Locomotives

Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):

• The first of ninety Class 25 4-8-4 Northern type condensing steam locomotives.^{[2]:108–111[3]:107–109[4]:77–78}
• The first of fifty Class 25NC non-condensing versions of the Class 25.^{[2]:110[3]:107–109[4]:77–78}

Sports

Football

• 22 November – In a friendly match the South Africa national football team loses 1-3 to the Portugal national football team at the National Stadium, Lisbon, Portugal.

References

1. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 191, 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.
3. Durrant, A E (1989). Twilight of South African Steam (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, London: David & Charles. ISBN 0715386387.
4. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.