1973 in South Africa

[[Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|border|35px|alt=	link=South Africa]]	1973 in South Africa	[[Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg|border|35px|alt=	link=South Africa]]
1970 1971 1972 « 1973 » 1974 1975 1976
List of years in South Africa

Incumbents

• State President: Jacobus Johannes Fouché

Events

January

• 8 – Two South African policemen are killed and two injured in an explosion near the Zambezi River in north-western Rhodesia.

February

• 1 – Venda and Gazankulu are granted self-government.

March

• Steve Biko is banned by the government.

August

• 25 – Harry Schwarz, leader of the liberal "Young Turks", wins the leadership of the United Party in the Transvaal, replacing its long-time leader Marais Steyn.

Unknown date

• The Natal Parks Board starts buying up farms to form the Itala Game Reserve.
• Michael Lapsley, an Anglican priest, arrives in South Africa.
• African and Arab states impose an oil embargo on South Africa.

Births

• 8 March – Jill Brukman, backstroke and medley swimmer.
• 19 July – Nathalie Boltt, actress.
• 18 November – Michele MacNaughton, field hockey player.

Railways

Locomotives

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

• April – The first of one hundred Class 34-400 General Electric (GE) type U26C diesel-electric locomotives.^[1]
• The first of one hundred Class 6E1, Series 4 electric locomotives.^{[1][2]:128-129[3]}
• September-December – Twenty Class 91-000 GE type UM6B narrow gauge diesel-electric locomotives on the Avontuur Railway.^[1][2]:144

References

1. 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
2. Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.
3. 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. 56–57.