1934 in South Africa

Incumbents

• Monarch: King George V
• Governor-General: The Earl of Clarendon
• Prime Minister: James Barry Munnik Hertzog
• Chief Justice: John Wessels

Events

;February

• 1 – South African Airways is inaugurated and takes over the passenger and goods air services from Union Airways.

;June

• The National Party and South African Party unite to form the United Party.

;July

• 9 – The Hitler Youth movement is prohibited in South West Africa.

;December

• 3 – The Status of the Union Act and the Royal Executive Functions and Seals Act come into operation: i.a. they make Parliament the sovereign legislative power in the Union; adopt parts of the Statute of Westminster; vest the executive government in the king, acting on the advice of the South African ministers only; and institute the Royal Great Seal of the Union and the Royal Signet of the Union.

;Unknown date

• The Slums Act is passed, giving municipalities and the government the authority to acquire slum properties.

Births

• 5 January – Phil Ramone, recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, co-founder of A & R Recording, Inc. (d. 2013)
• 14 January – Laurie Ackermann, Constitutional Court of South Africa judge
• 8 May – Sibusiso Bengu, politician
• 16 May – Ronnie Govender, playwright and director (d, 2021)
• 26 May – Dullah Omar, lawyer and politician. (d. 2004)
• 28 June – Peter Beighton, English-born geneticist (d. 2017)
• 5 August – Zakes Mokae, actor (d. 2009)
• 8 August – Sam Nzima, photographer who took what became the well known image of Hector Pieterson for the Soweto uprising (d. 2018)
• 3 October – Harold Henning, golfer. (d. 2004)
• 8 October – Kader Asmal, activist, politician and professor of human rights (d. 2011)
• 9 October – Abdullah Ibrahim, pianist and composer
• 20 October – Mary Peach, film and television actress
• 8 November – Edward Bhengu, activist and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (d. 2010)
• 9 November – Ronald Harwood, playwright (d. 2020)

Deaths

• 27 March – Francis William Reitz, president of the Orange Free State. (b. 1844)
• 28 July – Louis Tancred, cricketer. (b. 1876)

Railways

Railway lines opened

• 26 February – Transvaal – Northam to Thabazimbi, 28 mi.
• 29 July – Transvaal – Germiston to Elsburg, 2 mi.
• 21 September – Transvaal – Tuinplaas to Marble Hall, 36 mi.
• 15 October – Cape – Kleinstraat to Matroosberg, 8 mi.

References

References

1. May, H.J. (1949). ''The South African Constitution''.
2. ''Statement Showing, in Chronological Order, the Date of Opening and the Mileage of Each Section of Railway'', Statement No. 19, p. 190, ref. no. 200954-13