1884 in South Africa
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Incumbents
- Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Hercules Robinson.
- Governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
- State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
- State President of the South African Republic: Paul Kruger.
- Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: Thomas Charles Scanlen (until 12 May), Thomas Upington (starting 12 May).
Events
- April
- 24 â Germany occupies German South-West Africa.
- July
- 24 â Barberton is declared a town.
- August
- 5 â The Republic of Vryheid is established in northern Natal.
- 7 â Walvisbaai is occupied by the Cape Colony.
- November
- 3 â Imvo Zabantsundu (Xhosa: The Native People's Opinion of South Africa), South Africa's first newspaper by and for Black people, is founded by John Tengo Jabavu in King William's Town.[1]
- 15 â The Berlin Conference commences when 14 countries (Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, and United States of America) meet in Berlin to each claim their part of Africa.
- December
- 1 â The private Kowie Railway line between Grahamstown and Port Alfred is opened to traffic.[2]
Births
Deaths
- 8 February â Zulu king Cetshwayo. (b. 1826)
Railways
Railway lines opened
- 31 March â Cape Midland â Noupoort to De Aar, to link up with the Cape Western System, 69 miles 6 chains (111.2 kilometres).[3]
- May â Natal â Pietermaritzburg to Merrivale, 15 miles 19 chains (24.5 kilometres).[4]
- 16 September â Cape Eastern â Sterkstroom to Molteno, 20 miles 69 chains (33.6 kilometres).[3]
- 3 November â Cape Western â Victoria West Road to Oranjerivier, 150 miles 69 chains (242.8 kilometres).[3]
- 1 December â Kowie â Port Alfred to Grahamstown, 44 miles (70.8 kilometres).[4]
