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The following lists events that happened during 1879 in South Africa.

Incumbents

  • Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
  • Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
  • State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
  • State President of the South African Republic: vacant.
  • Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon (until March), James Rose Innes (starting March).
  • Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Charles Molteno (until February), John Gordon Sprigg (starting February).

Events

;January

  • 11 &ndash; Britain declares war against the Zulus and launches the Anglo-Zulu War after an ultimatum issued on 11 December 1878 is rejected.
  • 22 &ndash; The Zulus wipe out British forces in the Battle of Isandlwana.
  • 22-23 &ndash; The British prevail against a Zulu attack in the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

;March

  • 7 &ndash; The first British troops arrive in Durban from all over the Empire.
  • 12 &ndash; A force of 2,000 Zulus attacks a British camp at Ntombi River. Of the 60 men in the camp, only 15 escape.

;July

  • 4 &ndash; The Zulus are defeated at Ulundi and the war ends.

;August

  • 28 &ndash; The Zulu King Cetshwayo is captured.

Deaths

  • 4 May &ndash; William Froude, engineer, hydrodynamicist and naval architect, dies in Simon's Town
  • 1 June &ndash; Napoléon Eugène, Prince Imperial is killed in action when ambushed by Zulus during the Anglo-Zulu War.

Railways

Railway lines opened

thumb|[[CGR 1st Class 4-4-0]]

thumb|[[CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1879|CGR 1st Class 2-6-0]]

thumb|[[Table Bay Harbour 0-4-0WT]]

thumb|[[South African Class C 4-6-0T|NGR Kitson 2-6-0T]]

  • March &ndash; Natal &ndash; Pinetown to Botha's Hill, .
  • 11 August &ndash; Cape Western &ndash; Grootfontein to Fraserburg Road, .
  • 26 August &ndash; Cape Midland &ndash; Mount Stewart to Graaff-Reinet, .
  • The first six of ten 1st Class 2-6-0 Mogul type goods locomotives on the Western system.
  • The Natal Harbours Department in Durban places a single saddle-tank locomotive in service, named John Milne.

References