Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations after the country’s 2001 elections were found to be flawed by electoral observers. The elections were marred by politically motivated violence. The announcement was made by a troika of Commonwealth leaders that included then President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki.
The suspension meant that the country would be barred from Commonwealth meetings for a period of 12 months, with the opportunity for review at the end of 12 months when a decision would be taken based on the progress made by the country.
In a joint declaration the leaders of the United Party (UP), Sir de Villiers Graaff and the Democratic Party (DP), Theo Gerdener, expressed their agreement to form a new party on the basis of equal rights for all racial groups in South Africa. No actual unification was immediately announced following this declaration. During the same year, a group of UP members left the Party to form the Committee for a United Opposition, which then joined the Progressive Reformed Party (PRP) to form the Progressive Federal Party. It is not clear whether this was prompted by the declaration between the two organisations. On 5 October, 1977 Sir de Villiers Graaff announced his retirement from politics, having been leader of the opposition from 1956 until the dissolution of the UP on 28 June 1977.
The rebel cricket tours were matches taking place in South Africa at a time when the country was banned from international cricket. Despite wide international condemnation, the tours continued to take place for years. After the 1982 English tour, fifteen players who took part in it received three year bans from professional cricket. The last rebel tour took place in 1990. The tour was cancelled midway following violent protests from the public and strong disapproval from the international community.
The South African 46664 concert, 46664 being the prison number of South African president Nelson Mandela during the apartheid era, was staged at the exclusive golf resort of Fancourt, just outside George, Western Cape, on the Garden Route. Its theme highlighted the plight of women and girls, who are six times more likely to be infected with the Aids virus than men in South Africa. The concert was made possible through the generous support of Fancourt owner and philanthropist, Professor Hasso Platter, who not only gave the venue free of charge, but also contributed generously to the cost of the concert to ensure that 100% of the ticket revenue could be donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The event saw the coming together of international acclaimed artists and a host of local talent. The Master of Ceremonies was the recently appointed 46664 Ambassador and American movie star, Will Smith.
After 38 years of marriage, Judge Eloff granted Nelson and Winnie Mandela a divorce. Irreconcilable differences were cited as the reason for the parting. The Mandelas were married in 1958 and only spent a couple of years together before Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison as one of the Rivonia Trialists in 1963. It is believed that the lengthy separation that the couple experienced while Nelson Mandela was incarcerated contributed greatly to the eventual split. Two daughters, Zenani and Zindzi were born from their marriage.
Zandra Mitchley, her fourteen year old son, Shaun, and his friend, Claire Silberbauer, were murdered on the old Vereeniging road, near Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg. Boy Titi Ndweni, Sipiwe James Bholo and Sipho Samuel Gavin, three African National Congress (ANC) activists were found guilty of their murders by Judge David Curlewis after they had been identified as the culprits during an identification parade and had made confessions of guilt to a police officer. The accused later pleaded their innocence and insisted that the confessions were false and had been extracted under torture. Sipiwe Bholo and Sipho Gavin were sentenced to death three times (later commuted to life sentences) while Boy Titi Ndweni was sentenced to seventeen years in jail.
During a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearing Pan African Congress (PAC) activist, Phila Dolo, claimed responsibility for the attack. In his amnesty application Dolo told the TRC that he supervised the operation in his capacity as commander in the Azanian People's Liberation Army, the armed wing of the PAC. After a lengthy campaign by the ANC and PAC to free the 'Eikenhof Three', they were released from Johannesburg prison in 1999, having spent five years in jail for a crime they had not committed. The head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Bulelani Ngcuka, decided not bring new charges against them.
The second election to the Coloured Persons' R epresentative Council resulted in an absolute majority for the anti-apartheid Labour Party (LP). The LP won thirty-one of the fourty elective seats in the Council.. The leader, Sonny Leon, stated that his party's minimum demand was full equality with Whites as well as complete economic and political freedom. On the day of the elections the minister of Coloured Relations, Hennie Smit, gave notice of a Bill enabling him to exercise the powers and functions of the Council in certain circumstances.
On 19 March 1910, Thomas Thornton became the first person to fly on an aeroplane as a passenger when he paid Albert Kimmerling £100 for a short flight from Sydenham Hill.On the same day, Rand reporter Julia Stansfield became the first female passenger to fly on a plane when Kimmerling took her on a flight over Johannesburg. Kimmerling, a Frenchman, made the first powered flight in South Africa in a Viosin Canard Seaplane. This flight took place in East London on 28 December 1909,over the Nahoon Racecourse. At the end of February 1910, Kimmerling made three flights in Sydenham Hill, near Orange Grove in Johannesburg.