1983 IN SOUTH AFRICA

''See also:''
1982 in South Africa,
other events of 1983,
1983 in South African sport,
1984 in South Africa and the
Timeline of South African history.
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Contents

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Unknown date

Sport

Athletics

Births

Deaths

Events

January

★ 26 January - One person is killed and five injured by a bomb that explodes at the New Brighton Community Council offices

★ 30 January - A bomb explodes at the Pietermaritzburg Supreme Court Explosion

February

★ 7 February - Cedric Mayson, a former Methodist minister is charged with treason and being a member or an active supporter of the African National Congress. The case was to resume on the 18 April but he fled to Britain while on bail.

★ 10 February - Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres burn 5 square kilometres of land in the Richards Bay area in an arson attack

★ 11 February - The Drakensberg Administration Board offices are damaged by a bomb

★ 12 February - A bomb injures 76 people at the Free State Administration Board offices

★ 20 February - Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres try to set the Pelindaba Nuclear Research Station on fire in an arson attack

March

★ 12 March - A bomb on railway coach on Johannesburg bound passenger train explodes

★ 21 March - Second bomb explodes at the Supreme Court in Pietermaritzburg

April

★ 21 April - Third bomb explodes at the Supreme Court in Pietermaritzburg

★ 30 April - The Prime Minister of South Africa, Pieter Willem Botha meets with Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs to discusses the Lesotho Highlands Water Project

May

★ Two explosions cause R250 000 worth of damage to the Offices of the Department of Internal Affairs in Roodepoort

★ A skirmish on the Botswana border leaves four terrorists or freedom fighters and a South African Army soldier dead

★ 13 May - An explosive device (37 kg of explosives in a gas cylinder) is found and defused by police under a bridge on the Southern Freeway, Durban

★ 20 May - A car bomb explodes during the afternoon rush hour period outside the South African Air Force Head Quarters, opposite a building housing military intelligence personnel in Pretoria. (19 killed and 217 injured)

★ 23 May - The South African Air Force retaliates by attacking African National Congress facilities in the suburb of Matola in Maputo, Mozambique with 12 Impala MkIIs and 2 Mirage F1AZs (Operation SKERWE)

June

★ 17 June - Police defuse a bomb found on a power pylon at New Canada railway station in Soweto

★ 28 June - Bomb explodes at the Department of Internal Affairs in Roodepoort

July

★ 7 July - Two bombs are found and defused at the Durban Supreme Court while in Roodepoort two bombs detonate at 00:40 causing structural damage to the Department of Internal Affairs and the Police Station

August

★ 6 August - A bomb explodes at Temple Israel in Hillbrow just before Marais Steyn is due to speak there; no injuries

★ 20 August - A bomb causes R100,000 damage to a sub-station near Mamelodi

★ 26 August - A Limpet mine explodes at 18:50 at the Ciskei (former Bantustan)consular generals offices in the Carlton Centre, Johannesburg; one injured

September

★ 8 September - Two bombs damage sub-stations in the Johannesburg area (Randburg and Sandton)

★ 11 September - More sub-stations are damaged by Limpet mines In Johannesburg (Bryanston North and Fairland)

★ 12 September - Ciskei offices in Pretoria are damaged by a Limpet mine

★ 13 September - A bomb explodes at 19h45 in the Rowntree's factory in Umbilo, Durban

★ 29 September - Police defuses a bomb that was found on an electrical pylon in Vereeniging

October

★ 11 October - Limpet mines explode at 02:20 and damage a large fuel storage tanks, three rail tankers and one road tanker at Bela Bela (previously Warmbaths). Two more devices set to explode 1 hour later were found on door of Civil Defence office. PW Botha was due to speak in Warmbaths

★ 14 October - two electricity pylons near Pietermaritzburg are destroyed by Limpet mines at 02:00 and 03:00

November

★ 1 November - Buses at municipal bus depot in Durban are damaged by a bomb that explodes at midnight

★
★ The railway line at Germiston is damaged by a bomb

★
★ Police defuse a bomb on the railway line near Springs

★
★ The South African Defence Force launch Operation Askari

★ 2 November - A bomb that explodes at 02:55 at the Police workshop in Wentworth, Durban damages vehicles and an adjacent student residence (Alan Taylor Residence)

★ 3 November - The Bosmont railway station is damaged by a bomb

★
★ Bosmont/Newclare railway line damaged in explosion

★
★ The railway line near Germiston damaged by explosion

★
★ Police defuseThe railway line near Springs; explosives defused

★ 22 November - Electrical pylons are damaged by two explosions near Durban

December

★ 3 or 7 December - Bomb explodes at the office of Department of Community Development in Bree Street, Johannesburg

★ 8 December - the railway line 1km from Bloemfontein is maliciously damaged and a locomotive and two trucks are derailed

★ 12 December - Seven people are injured when a Limpet mine explodes at the offices of Department of Community Development and Commissioners Court in Johannesburg

★ 15 December - Three bombs explode on the beach front outside the Natal Command HQ in Durban

★ 19 December - A bomb causes R60,000 worth of damage to the KwaMashu (Durban)township offices

Unknown date

★ A new Constitution provides for a tricameral parliament for coloureds, Indians and whites

★ United Democratic Front is launched by 575 community groups, trade unions, sporting bodies, women's and youth organizations

Sport

Athletics

★ April 30 – Kevin Flanegan wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:16:21 in Durban.

Births

Deaths

★ James Arthur Calata, African National Congress leader and Anglican clergyman, dies in Cradock

★ 19 September - Yusuf Dadoo, doctor and politician, dies at the age of 74