2009 in South Africa

Incumbents

• President:
  • Kgalema Motlanthe (until 8 May).
  • Jacob Zuma (from 9 May).
• Deputy President: Baleka Mbete (until 9 May), Kgalema Motlanthe (starting 9 May).
• Chief Justice: Pius Langa then Sandile Ngcobo.

[[Cabinet of South Africa|Cabinet]]

The Cabinet, together with the President and the Deputy President, forms part of the Executive. Main article: Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (South Africa)

[[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]]

Main article: 25th South African Parliament

[[Premier (South Africa)|Provincial Premiers]]

• Eastern Cape Province: Mbulelo Sogoni (until 6 May), Noxolo Kiviet (since 6 May)
• Free State Province: Beatrice Marshoff (until 6 May), Ace Magashule (since 6 May)
• Gauteng Province: Paul Mashatile (until 6 May), Nomvula Mokonyane (since 6 May)
• KwaZulu-Natal Province: S'bu Ndebele (until 6 May), Zweli Mkhize (since 6 May)
• Limpopo Province: Sello Moloto (until 3 March), Cassel Mathale (since 3 March)
• Mpumalanga Province: Thabang Makwetla (until 10 May), David Mabuza (since 10 May)
• North West Province: Edna Molewa (until 6 May), Maureen Modiselle (since 6 May)
• Northern Cape Province: Elizabeth Dipuo Peters (until 6 May), Hazel Jenkins (since 6 May)
• Western Cape Province: Lynne Brown (until 6 May), Helen Zille (since 6 May)

Events

;January

• 8 – The 97th Anniversary of the ANC is celebrated.

;February

• 4 – Jacob Zuma appears in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
• 4 – Jimmy Mohlala, Mbombela Local Council Municipality speaker who had been asked to resign by the ANC following a whistle-blower act which saw Municipal manager Jacob Dladla suspended, is shot dead in his Nelspruit home. His 19-year-old son is wounded in the attack.
• 11 – Trevor Manuel presents the 2009–2010 budget.
• 11 – For the first time in South Africa, court proceedings in a trial are conducted entirely in isiZulu in the municipality of Msinga. The proceedings are part of a pilot project to offer "access to justice for all".

;March

• 3 – South African holidaymakers need visas to enter the United Kingdom.
• 3 – Convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik is released from prison on medical parole.
• 4 – The 14th Dalai Lama's visa application to enter South Africa is refused.
• 12 – The Constitutional Court rules that registered voters living overseas can vote for the National Assembly in the 22 April elections.

;April

• 7 – All charges against Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thint over the South African arms deal are officially withdrawn in the Durban High Court.
• 22 – The 2009 national and provincial elections are held.
• 25 – The Independent Electoral Commission publishes the elections results. The ANC won 65.9% of the vote, The DA won 16.66%.

;May

• 6 – Jacob Zuma is elected president in the South African presidential election.

;June 14 to 28 – The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup takes place in South Africa and is won by Brazil, with the United States as the runner-up.

;July

• 18 – The first Mandela Day is organised on Nelson Mandela's 91st Birthday.
• 19 – Gill Marcus is appointed Governor of the South African Reserve Bank by Jacob Zuma, to replace Tito Mboweni on 9 November.

;September

• 22 – President Jacob Zuma meets with the Paramount leader of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao in New York.
• 22–24 – The United States Embassy and other US government facilities in South Africa are closed because of unspecified security concerns.
• 24 – Airlink Flight 8911 crashes shortly after take-off, killing one and injuring three.

;December

• 8 – Serial killer, serial rapist and criminal Ananias Mathe is sentenced to an effective 54 years in prison for various crimes.
• 12 – The Miss World 2009 pageant takes place Johannesburg.
• 13 – The Miss South Africa 2009 pageant takes place at Sun City.

Deaths

• 1 January – Helen Suzman, activist and politician. (b. 1917)
• 11 January – Ludumo Galada, boxer. (b. 1982)
• 6 April – Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician. (b. 1937)
• 13 October – Winston Mankunku Ngozi, musician. (b. 1943)
• 3 December – Curtis Nkondo, activist, educator, politician and ambassador. (b. 1928)
• 16 December – Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician. (b. 1940)
• 31 December – Masego Kgomo, murder victim. (b. c. 1999)

Railways

Locomotives

• Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on Transnet Freight Rail (TFR):
  • The first of fifty Class 39-200 Electro-Motive Diesel type GT26CU-3 diesel-electric locomotives, built at the Transnet Rail Engineering shops in Koedoespoort.
  • The first of 110 new Class 19E dual voltage 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC electric locomotives on the Coalink line from Ermelo to Richards Bay.
• TFR begins rebuilding Class 6E1, Series 2 to 8 locomotives to Class 18E, Series 2 locomotives.

References

References

1. [http://www.archontology.org/nations/south_africa/00_1994_td_s.php Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1994-2017] (Accessed on 5 June 2017)
2. "Zuma's first court date set".
3. (5 January 2009). "SA official gunned down". BBC.
4. (5 February 2009). "2010 World Cup whistle-blower shot dead". Sowetan.
5. (22 February 2008). "ANC in stadium cover-up". Mail & Guardian online.
6. (22 October 2009). "Dladla report-Jimmy Mohlala vindicated". ziwaphi.com.
7. [https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=asqcBCtHpPvE&refer=africa Manuel to Avoid Spending Surge in His Last South African Budget]
8. [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090211033842784C970246 Rural court set to make history].
9. [http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2467744,00.html New SA passport too late for UK] {{Webarchive. link. (13 February 2009 ''News 24'')
10. [http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2478896,00.html Shaik released on medical parole] {{Webarchive. link. (6 March 2009 ''News 24'')
11. [http://www.news24.com/News24/Elections/News/0,,2-2478-2479_2484184,00.html Expats will be allowed to vote] {{Webarchive. link. (14 March 2009 ''News 24'')
12. "Zuma's five minutes to freedom".
13. link. (29 April 2009 ''The Times'')
14. [http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2507667,00.html Calls for global 'Mandela Day'] {{Webarchive. link. (30 April 2009 ''News 24'')
15. (23 September 2009). "South Africa: Security Threat Close U.S. Embassy". [[New York Times]].
16. link. (19 July 2011)
17. "Mathe smiles after sentencing".
18. [http://www.news24.com/Content/Entertainment/SouthAfrica/1043/26d433a48ce847efb394f150a5fdce2a/13-10-2009-09-19/SA_jazz_legend_dies SA jazz legend dies] {{Webarchive. link. (16 October 2009 ''News 24'' 19 September 2009)
19. [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=nw20091204172152129C812668 Struggle veteran Nkondo dies]
20. [http://www.timeslive.co.za/news/article235095.ece "Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has died"], ''Times'', 16 December 2000.
21. [http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2008/12/the-class-39-diesels/ Railways Africa, 12 Dec 2008: The Class 39 Diesels]
22. [http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/04/final-39-200-rolls-out/ Final 39-200 Rolls Out] Railways Africa, 6 April 2010
23. [http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2008/08/first-19e-loco/ Railways Africa, 29 Aug 2008: First 19E Loco]
24. [http://sa-railnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/tfr-class-19e-test-train-information.html TFR Class 19E Test Train / Information] South African Railway News, 9 April 2009
25. Information gathered from the rebuild files of individual locomotives at Transnet Rail Engineering’s Koedoespoort shops