South Africa’s rich history is marked by events that reflect its complex socio-political landscape.
These historical events happened on 19 February
On 19 February, these five significant events across different eras have played a pivotal role in shaping the nation.
Nelson Mandela issued his first passport (1990)
On 19 February 1990, Nelson Mandela was issued his first South African passport, just eight days following his release from 27 years of imprisonment.
This passport, which misspelt his second name “Rolihlahla” as “Rolilahla,” became his means of travel for a tour across several African states that had supported the South African liberation struggle, including Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.
Mandela’s receipt of a passport marked a significant step in his transition from a prisoner to a global ambassador for South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement.
Dynamite explosion in Braamfontein (1896)
The Braamfontein explosion on 19 February 1896 in Johannesburg was one of the worst disasters in South African history, caused when an explosives train carrying between 56 and 60 tons of dynamite was struck by a shunting train after standing in searing heat for 3½ days.
The explosion created a massive crater sixty meters long, fifty meters wide, and eight meters deep, and was heard up to 200 km away. It resulted in at least sixty-two fatalities and more than 200 severe injuries, with some estimates much higher, devastating surrounding suburbs and displacing around 3,000 people.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s bodyguards arrested for Stompie Seipei’s murder (1989)
On 19 February 1989, four bodyguards of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, including Jerry Richardson and Jabu Sithole (coach of the Mandela United Football Club), were arrested at her home in connection with the death of Stompie Mokhetsi Seipei, a 14-year-old United Democratic Front activist.
Stompie Seipei was kidnapped on 29 December 1988 by members of Winnie Mandela’s bodyguards, known as the Mandela United Football Club, and murdered on 1 January 1989.
The Rand Supreme Court later sentenced Jerry Richardson to death for the murder of Stompie Seipei on 8 August 1990.
First part of the South African Press Commission’s report is tabled in parliament (1962)
On 19 February 1962, the South African Press Commission’s first report was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of the Interior, de Klerk. This report, which was the culmination of eleven years of planning, consisted of two volumes totalling 700 pages and included nineteen annexures amounting to 1,566 pages.
The extensive documentation of the report underscores the thorough examination undertaken by the Commission regarding the state of the press in South Africa during a tumultuous period in the country’s history.
Travelling in a cab goes out of fashion (1898)
On 19 February 1898, The Star reported a notable shift in transportation preferences in Johannesburg, marking the decline of cab travel as a fashionable mode of transport.
This change was largely due to evolving socio-economic conditions in the city, alongside the general discomfort associated with cab travel. Instead, horse-drawn trams, and later electric trams, emerged as the more popular modes of transport after 1892.