1878 in South Africa

	1878 in South Africa
1875 1876 1877 « 1878 » 1879 1880 1881
List of years in South Africa

Events

March

• 12 – Commander R.C. Dryer takes possession of the area surrounding Walvis Bay.

May

• 14 – Paul Kruger leads a second deputation to the United Kingdom to demand the freedom of the South African Republic.

July

• 17 – Nqwiliso, tribal chief of western Mpondoland and eldest son of the warrior Chief Ndamase, ceded sovereign rights of Umzimvubu River mouth to the Cape Colony ^[1][2]

December

• 11 – The British present an ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo, triggering the Anglo-Zulu War.

Unknown date

• The 9th Cape Frontier War ends.
• The first telephones are set up in the Cape.
• The telegraph service between Natal and Transvaal is opened.
• The British suspend the elected Cape Government and assume direct control, after escalating disagreements on confederation and frontier policy.
• The last confirmed Cape Lion dies.^[3]

Births

• 14 March – Alexander du Toit, geologist. (d. 1948)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 25 May – Natal – Umgeni to Avoca, 4 miles 21 chains (6.9 kilometres).^[4]
• 1 August – Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart, 48 miles 70 chains (78.7 kilometres).^[5]
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne, 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 kilometres).^[5]
• 15 August – Cape Eastern – East London to Landing Jetty, 1 mile 58 chains (2.8 kilometres).^[5]
• 4 September – Natal – Durban to Pinetown, 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).^[6]

CGR 0-4-0ST Aid

• 4 November – Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Grootfontein, 86 miles 49 chains (139.4 kilometres).^[5]

Locomotives

• The Cape Government Railways places a second locomotive in service on construction work on the Kowie harbour project at Port Alfred, a 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) broad gauge 0-4-0 saddle-tank engine named Aid.^[7]

References

1. Kruger, D.W. (ed)(1972). Dictionary of South African Biography, Cape Town: Human Sciences Research Council, v. 3, p. 661.
2. http://www.portstjohns.org.za/history.htm
3. "V muzeu Emila Holuba se ukrýval kapský lev". Novinky.cz (in Czech). 2009-05-22. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
4. Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway, Statement No. 19, p. 181, ref. no. 200954-13
5. Report for year ending 31 December 1909, Cape Government Railways, Section VIII - Dates of Opening and the Length of the different Sections in the Cape Colony, from the Year 1873 to 31st December, 1909.
6. The South African Railways - Historical Survey. Editor George Hart, Publisher Bill Hart, Sponsored by Dorbyl Ltd., Published c. 1978, p. 16.
7. Holland, D.F. (1971). Steam Locomotives of the South African Railways, Volume 1: 1859-1910 (1st ed.). Newton Abbott, Devon: David & Charles. pp. 13–14, 18. ISBN 978-0-7153-5382-0.