1911 in South Africa

The following lists events that happened during 1911 in South Africa.

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V.
• Governor-General and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: The Viscount Gladstone.
• Prime Minister: Louis Botha.
• Chief Justice: John de Villiers, 1st Baron de Villiers

Events

April

• 18 – Lusitania, a Portuguese 5,557 ton passenger liner, strikes Bellows Rock just off Cape Point en route from Mozambique to Lisbon and sinks. Only 8 out of the 774 people on board lose their lives.
• 22 – A passenger train from Port Alfred derails on the Blaauwkrantz Bridge and plunges into the ravine below, killing 31 and seriously injuring 23.

November

• Louis Botha and J.B.M. Hertzog officially establish the South African Party as the "South African National Party" in Bloemfontein, although the Party had already been supported informally by candidates in national elections the year prior.

Births

• 8 January – Esther Susanna Mentz, soprano and actress.
• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi, "Ma Ngoyi", dressmaker, political activist and trade unionist.

Deaths

• 4 February – Piet Cronjé, Boer General. (b. 1836)
• 28 May – Ds. S.J. du Toit, pioneer of the Afrikaans language. (b. 1847)
• 23 November – Bernard Tancred, South African cricketer. (b. 1865)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 1 March – Transvaal – India Junction to Alberton, .
• 13 April – Natal – Umlaas Road to Mid Illovo (Narrow gauge), .
• 11 May – Transvaal – Welverdiend to Lichtenburg, .
• 31 May – Cape – Eendekuil to Graafwater, .
• 2 July – Transvaal – Welgedag to Modderbee, .
• 31 July – Transvaal – Ermelo to Piet Retief, .
• 15 August – Transvaal – Pietersburg to Bandelierkop, .
• 21 August – Cape – Hopefield to Bergrivier (Narrow gauge), .
• 4 September – Free State – Sannaspos to Jammerdrif, .

File:CGR Mountain no. 850.jpg

SAR Class 4

File:Class NG4 4-6-2T no. 16 b.jpg

SAR Class NG4

File:Class MF no. 1620 b.jpg

SAR Class MF

File:SAR Class MG 1628 (2-6-6-2) CSAR 1024 a.jpg

SAR Class MG

• 7 October – Natal – Merrivale to Howick, .
• 8 November – Natal – Port Shepstone to Paddock (Narrow gauge), .
• 1 December – Cape – Lady Grey to Melk, .
• 2 December – Free State – Bethlehem to Reitz, .
• 4 December – Transvaal – Coligny to Delareyville, .

Locomotives

Cape

• The Cape Government Railways places two 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotives in service. In 1912 they will be designated Class 4 on the South African Railways (SAR).

Natal

• The Natal Government Railways places the first two of seven 4-6-2 Pacific narrow gauge tank steam locomotives in service. On the SAR they will become the Class NG4.

Transvaal

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

• Nine 2-6-6-2 Mallet articulated compound steam locomotives. In 1912 they will be designated Class MF by the SAR.
• A single experimental 2-6-6-2 Mallet. In 1912 it will become the sole Class MG on the SAR.