1939 in South Africa
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Events
- September
- 2 – J.B.M. Hertzog puts his case to the National Assembly for South Africa to remain neutral in the Second World War, against Jan Smuts who supports a Commonwealth alliance.
- 4 – Jan Smuts becomes the 4th Prime Minister of South Africa for the second time.
- 5 – The National Assembly votes on a motion whether or not to join the war and Jan Smuts wins by 13 votes.
- 6 – The Union of South Africa declares war on Germany.
- Unknown date
- The University of Pretoria's official university newspaper, Die Perdeby, is established.[1]
Births
- 26 June – Philip Swiegers.
- 18 March – Dr. John W. de Gruchy.
Deaths
- 16 October – Charlotte Maxeke, religious leader and political activist, dies in Johannesburg at the age of 65.
Transportation
Railways
The first two Cape gauge diesel-electric locomotive types enter service on the South African Railways (SAR):
- A single Class DS AEG shunting engine enters service at the Congella yards near Durban.[2]
- A second shunting locomotive, the Class DS1, enters SAR service while another is delivered to the Electricity Supply Commission.[2]: 136–137
References
- ^ University of Pretoria Historical Overview Retrieved 1 October 2010
- ^ a b Paxton, Leith; Bourne, David (1985). Locomotives of the South African Railways (1st ed.). Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 0869772112.: 136–137