1917 in South Africa
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Incumbents
Events
- January
- 16 â 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.[2]
- February
- 21 â The SS Mendi is struck on the starboard side by the SS Darro, an 11,000 ton liner, and sinks with the loss of 646 lives.[2]
- September
- The Industrial Workers of Africa, South Africa's first predominantly black trade union, is established in Johannesburg.
- Unknown date
- The Castle of Good Hope 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 â Oliver Tambo, activist and revolutionary. (d. 1993)
- 20 December â Petrus Hugo, Second World War fighter pilot. (d. 1986)
Deaths
- 18 January â Andrew Murray, author, educationist and pastor. (b. 1828)
Railways
Railway lines opened
- 5 March â Natal â Izingolweni to Harding (narrow gauge), 39 miles 56 chains (63.9 kilometres).[3]
- 20 June â Natal â Gingindlovu to Eshowe, 20 miles 2 chains (32.2 kilometres).[3]
Locomotives
- Three new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
- November â Ten Class 16B 4-6-2 Pacific type passenger steam locomotives.[4]
- Seven Class K 4-6-4 tank locomotives that had been built for the Philippines but could not be delivered.[4]
- At least four 2-8-2 Mikado type steam locomotives, built for the Chemins de Fer du Bas Congo à Katanga and obtained on temporary lease to alleviate the critical wartime shortage of locomotives.[4][5]