2009 in South Africa
Encyclopedia
February
- 4 February – Jacob ZumaJacob ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
appeared in the PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
High Court. - 4 February – Jimmy Mohlala a Mbombela Local Council Municipality speaker was shot dead in his NelspruitNelspruitNelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
home. His 19-year-old son was also wounded in the attack.
He had previously been asked to resign by the African National Congress following a whistle blower act which saw Municipal manager Jacob Dladla suspended.
- 11 February – Trevor ManuelTrevor ManuelTrevor Andrew Manuel is a South African politician, currently serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as Minister in the Presidency in charge of the National Planning Commission...
releases the 2009–2010 budget. - 11 February – For the first time in South Africa, court proceedings in a trial are conducted entirely in isiZulu in the municipality of MsingaUmzinyathi District MunicipalityUmzinyathi is one of the 11 district municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The seat of Umzinyathi is Dundee. The majority of its 456 452 people speak IsiZulu...
. The proceedings are part of a pilot project to offer "access to justice for all".
March
- 3 March – South African holidaymakers will need visas to enter the United Kingdom.
- 3 March – Convicted fraudster Schabir ShaikSchabir ShaikSchabir Shaik is a South African businessman from the Berea, Durban, who rose to prominence due to his close association with South African President Jacob Zuma during his time as Deputy President...
has been released from jail on medical parole. - 4 March – The 14th Dalai Lama14th Dalai LamaThe 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
's visa application to enter South Africa is refused. - 12 March- The Constitutional Court ruled that registered voters living overseas can vote for the National Assembly in the 22 April elections.
April
- 7 April – All charges against Jacob ZumaJacob ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
and French arms manufacturer, Thint, over the South African arms dealSouth African Arms DealThe South African Arms Deal was a US$4.8 billion purchase of weaponry by the South African Government finalised in 1999 which has been subject to allegations of corruption....
are officially withdrawn in the Durban High Court .
- 22 April – The 2009 national and provincial electionsSouth African general election, 2009South Africa held national and provincial elections to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each province on 22 April 2009....
are held. - 25 April – The Independent Electoral Commission publishes the elections results, (The ANCAfrican National CongressThe African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
won 65.9% of the vote, The DA won 16.66%).
May
- 6 May – South African presidential electionSouth African presidential election, 2009An indirect presidential election was held in South Africa on 6 May 2009 following the general election on 22 April 2009. Jacob Zuma of the ruling African National Congress won the election with 277 votes , while Mvume Dandala of the Congress of the People got 47 votes...
.
July
- 18 July – First Mandela DayMandela DayNelson Mandela International Day is an annual international day in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each 18 July . The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010...
organised on Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
's 91st Birthday. - 19 July – Gill MarcusGill MarcusGill Marcus is the ninth Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. She is the first woman to hold the position.-Early Years:Marcus was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania...
is appointed Governor of the South African Reserve BankSouth African Reserve BankThe South African Reserve Bank is the central bank of South Africa. It was established in 1921 after Parliament passed an act, the "Currency and Bank Act of 10 August 1920," as a direct result of the abnormal monetary and financial conditions which World War I had brought...
by Jacob ZumaJacob ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
to replace Tito MboweniTito MboweniTito Mboweni was the eighth Governor of the South African Reserve Bank. He succeeded Dr. Christian Lodewyk Stals on the 8 August 1999 and was succeeded by Gill Marcus who replaced him as Governor on 9 November 2009. He is currently the Chairman of AngloGold Ashanti.The youngest of three children,...
on 9 November.
September
- 22-24 September The United States Embassy and other US government facilities in South Africa are closed because of unspecified security concerns
- 22 September – Jacob ZumaJacob ZumaJacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
, President of South AfricaPresident of South AfricaThe President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africa's Constitution. From 1961 to 1994, the head of state was called the State President....
meets with the Paramount leaderParamount leaderParamount leader literally "the highest leader of the party and the state ", in modern Chinese political science, unofficially refers to the political leader of the People's Republic of China....
of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Hu JintaoHu JintaoHu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to deepen bilateral relations - 24 September – Airlink Flight 8911Airlink Flight 8911Airlink Flight 8911 was a positioning flight from Durban International Airport to Pietermaritzburg Airport that crashed into the grounds of Merebank Secondary School shortly after takeoff at around 8:00 a.m. local time on September 24, 2009, injuring the three occupants of the aircraft and one on...
crashes shortly after take-off killing one and injuring 3.
December
- 8 December – Serial Killer, serial rapist and criminal, Ananias Mathe is sentenced to an effective 54 years in jail for various crimes committed.
- 12 December – Miss World 2009Miss World 2009Miss World 2009, the 59th Miss World pageant, was held on December 12, 2009 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. 112 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, marking the biggest turnout in the pageant's history...
is held in JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. - 13 December – Miss South Africa 2009Miss South Africa 2009Miss South Africa 2009 was held on December 13, 2009 in Sun City, South Africa. The winner will represent South Africa at Miss Universe 2010 and Miss World 2010. 12 contestants competed for the crown...
is held at Sun CitySun City, North WestSun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.- History :...
.
January
- 1 January – Helen SuzmanHelen SuzmanHelen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
, Anti-apartheid activist and politician (b. 1917) - 11 January- Ludumo GaladaLudumo GaladaLudumo Galada was a South African boxer. Nicknamed "Pretty Boy", Galada was born in Mdantsane Township outside of East London in the Eastern Cape province. His first international boxing match occurred at the 2002 Commonwealth Games where he fought as a bantamweight. Galada advanced to the...
, Olympic boxer (b. 1982),
April
- 6 April – Ivy Matsepe-CasaburriIvy Matsepe-CasaburriIvy Matsepe-Casaburri was a South African politician. She was the country's Minister of Communications from 1999 until her death....
, South African politician, Minister of CommunicationsMinister of Communications (South Africa)The Minister of Communications is a Minister in the Government of South Africa, who is responsible for overseeing the Department of Communications.-External links:**...
.
December
- 3 December – Curtis NkondoCurtis NkondoCurtis Nkondo was a South African diplomat, school teacher and politician with the African National Congress. Born in Louis Trichardt, Nkondo was a life-long activist with the ANC...
, activist, educator, politician, ambassador (b. 1928) - 16 December – Manto Tshabalala-MsimangManto Tshabalala-MsimangDr. Mantombazana 'Manto' Edmie Tshabalala-Msimang was a South African politician. She was Deputy Minister of Justice from 1996 to 1999 and controversially served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2008 under President Thabo Mbeki...
, politician, former health Minister.