1956 in South Africa

Events

February

• 1 – The South African government requests the Soviet Union to withdraw its consulates.

March

• 16 – The Riotous Assemblies Act no. 17 is passed, prohibiting any outside gathering that the Minister of Justice deems a threat to public peace.
• 17 – Mimi Coertse makes her Vienna State Opera debut as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute (Mozart).

August

• 9 – Women march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest to the pass laws.

December

• 5 – 156 leading activists are arrested, heralding the start of the Treason Trial. Among those arrested is Lillian Masediba Ngoyi.
• 19 – The Four year long Treason Trial begins at the Drill Hall in Johannesburg.

Unknown date

• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi is elected president of the Federation of South African Women.
• Lillian Masediba Ngoyi becomes the first woman ever to be elected to the African National Congress national executive committee.
• Segregation is introduced on buses.
• Albert Lutuli is arrested.

Births

• 31 January – Trevor Andrew Manuel, Minister of Finance from 1996, is born in Kensington, Cape Town.
• 1 September – Jeremy Baskin, trade unionist and labour market analyst.
• 2 November – Lucas Seage, artist, is born in Newclare, Johannesburg.

References