Chronology

Updated: 1 Sep 2019

1935: May, Joint Select Committee of Parliament tables the Representation of Natives Bill and the Native Trust and Land Bill; October, Italy attacks Ethiopia December, Coloured radicals form National Liberation League; December 15-18, Professor D. D. T. Jabavu and Dr. Pixley ka I. Seme call meetÂing of the All African Convention (AAC)
1936: February, AAC deputation meets with Prime Minister J. B. M. Hertzog; March 30, United Transkeian Territories General Council supports retention of the Cape African franchise; April 7, Joint sitting of Parliament passes Representation of Natives Bill, 169-11; Native Trust and Land Bill becomes law in May; June 29””July 2, AAC reconvenes
1937: Natives (Urban Areas) Amendment Act; Native Laws Amendment Act Industrial Conciliation Act; June, Election for Natives' Representative Council (NRC); December, Meeting of AAC; December, "Silver Jubilee" Conference of African National Congress (ANC); the Rev. Z. R. Mahabane succeeds Dr. Seme as president-general
1938: Afrikaner nationalist celebration of the centenary of the Great Trek April, Formation of the Non-European United Front; May 30, General election
1939: Asiatics (Transvaal Land and Trading) Act Formation of the short-lived National Union of African Youth in Natal; Communist Party headquarters moves from Johannesburg to Cape Town under Moses Kotane as national secretary; May 15-17, Deputation from the ANC and Congress of Urban Advisory Boards to the minister of Native affairs; September 4, House of Assembly votes 80-67 to enter World War II; resignation of Hertzog, who is succeeded by Jan Christiaan Smuts as prime minister
1940: January, Hertzog's followers merge with Daniel F. Malan's in the Reunited National Party; July 7, The national executive committees of the ANC and the AAC adopt resolution on the war; December, Meeting of a joint ANC-AAC committee

First meeting of AAC since 1937

ANC conference elects Dr. A. B. Xuma to succeed the Rev. Z. R.

Mahabane as president-general
1941: Factories, Machinery and Building Work Act; June, Supporters of Malan draft constitution for a future republic; July 8, Deputation from the ANC to the minister of justice; August 3, Conference to rebuild the African Mine Workers' Union; August 14, Roosevelt and Churchill's Atlantic Charter; November, Formation of Council of Non-European Trade Unions; December, Special session of the AAC
1942: War Measure 145 Election for NRC; March 4, Deputation from the ANC to the deputy prime minister June 28, The Non-European United Front convenes conference; December 28, Pretoria riot (17 killed, about 111 wounded)
1943: Trading and Occupation of Land (Transvaal and Natal) Restriction Act; February 28, Formation of Anti-C.A.D. [Coloured Affairs Department]; July 7, General election; August, Alexandra bus boycott (nine days); September 26, Inauguration of Paul Mosaka's African Democratic Party November, Inauguration of Anti-Pass Campaign (1943-1945); December 4-5, Inauguration of Campaign for Right and Justice; December 16, ANC conference adopts Africans' Claims (including "Bill of Rights") and a new constitution; authorizes formation of a Youth League; December, Meeting of joint ANC-AAC committee; December 17, Adoption of a "10-Point Programme" by delegates from the AAC and the Anti-C.A.D. at the First Unity Conference and provisional foundÂing of the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM)
1944: War Measure 1,425; February 2, Meeting of youth leaders with Dr. Xuma; April 2, Inaugural meeting of ANC Youth League; May 20-21, National Anti-Pass Conference; July 8, Second Unity Conference of NEUM; September 10, Conference of the ANC Youth League (Transvaal) elects A. M. Lembede as president; November 14, Beginning of Alexandra bus boycott (seven weeks); November, Scattered fighting between Africans and whites in Johannesburg; destruction of the Bantu World printing plant and offices
1945: Native Education Finance Act Natives (Urban Areas) Consolidation Act; June, Adoption of United Nations Charter at the San Francisco Conference; Smuts' preamble calls for "larger freedom"; August, All-in Conference of nonwhite trade unions; opening address by Dr. Xuma; October, Pan-African Congress, in Manchester.; October, G.M. Naicker takes over leadership of the Natal Indian Congress
1946: Asian Land Tenure and Indian Representation Act; Death of the J.L. Dube, Chief Albert J. Lutuli in a by-election wins Dube's seat in the NRC; June 13 Natal Indian Congress and Transvaal Indian Congress (the latter under Dr. Y.M. Dadoo) begin passive resistance campaign (1946-1948); June 23, Second National Anti-Pass; August 12-15, African mine workers’ strike; August 14-15, Meeting and adjournment of the NRC; August – September, Trial of 52 accused of aiding illegal mine strike; discharged or fined;followed by trial of communist for sedition, November 1946-October 1948; October 6-7, Dr. Xuma, who later attends the united Nations in New York, calls “ Emergency Conference of all Africans”; November 20, Acting Prime Minister Jan Hofmeyr address the NRC; November 26, NRC adjourns
1947: Industrial Conciliation (Natives) Bill; not enacted; March 9, Dr. A.B. Xuma, Dr. G.M. Naicker and Dr. Y.M. Dadoo issue “Joint Declaration of Cooperation”; May 8-9, Interview by some NRC members with Prime Minister Jan Smuts; July, Death of A.M. Lembede
1948: Report of the Native Laws Commission, 1946 1946-1948 [Fagan Report]; March, Election for NRC; May 22 – 24, First Transvaal-Orange Free State People’s Assembly for votes for all.; May 26, General Election; victory of Malan’s National Party; Introduction of apartheid on trains in Cape Peninsula; October 3, Twelve African leaders issue “A Call for African Unity”; December 3, Death of Jan Hof; December 16-17, Joint conference of the ANC and the ACC
1949: Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act; January 4-5, Notice of government's intention to abolish the NRC given at the first meeting of the NRC in over two years; January 13, Eruption of Zulu rioting against Indians in Durban, statements by African and Indian leaders (January 14-February 6); April 17-18, Joint meeting of the ANC and AAC national executive committees; June, Professor Z. K. Matthew succeeds the Rev. James A. Calata as president of the Cape African Congress; December 17, ANC conference adopts the Programme of Action. Dr. James S. Moroka elected to succeed Dr. Xuma as president-general; new leadership comes into power, with Walter M. Sisulu succeeding the Rev. James Calata as secretary-general.
1950: Group Areas Act; Population Registration Act; Immorality Amendment Act; Suppression of Communism Act; March 26, "Defend Free Speech; May 1, Stay-at-home day of protest in Transvaal; police intervention (19 dead, 30 injured); May 14, Conference of representatives of the Executive committees of the ANC, South African Indian Congress (SAIC), African People’s Organisation, ANC Youth League, Communist Party and Transvaal Council of Non-European Trade Unions; May 21, ANC national executive committee decides to call a national one day stay-at-home protest [June 26]; June 20, Communist Party declares it dissolved itself (before enactment of the Suppression of Communist Act]; June 26, "National Day of Protest and Mourning”; November 12, Election of J. B. Marks as a president of the ANC (Transvaal); November, Last meeting of the NRC; Formation of R. V. Selope Thema's National-minded Bloc
1951: Bantu Authorities Act; February, Separate Representation of Voters Bill to remove Coloureds from common roll (enacted in June) is made public; February, Conference of Franchise Action Council; March 11, Coloured political demonstration in Cape Town April, Rise of the Torch Commando; April 28-29, Formation of the Transvaal Peace Council; May 30, Chief Lutuli succeeds A. W. G. Champion as president of the ANC (Natal); June 17, Funeral of Dr. Seme, followed by meeting of ANC national executive committee; decision to meet with SAIC and other representatives; July 29, Joint conference of national executive committees of the ANC and the SAIC;formation of Joint Planning Council (JPC); November 8, Report of the JPC; December 15-17, ANC conference adopts report of the JPC; December 20, First conference of the Society of Young Africa
1952: January, Exclusive-minded Africans organize Bureau of African Nationalism; January 21, Letter from the ANC to Prime Minister Malan threatening a DeÂfiance Campaign; January 29, Reply and warning by Prime Minister Malan; February 11, Second letter from the ANC to Malan stating intention to launch Defiance Campaign; February, Formation of pro-government Bantu National Congress; April 6, Climax of Van Riebeeck tercentenary festival; ANC-SAIC protest meetÂings and demonstrations as prelude to Defiance Campaign; May, Ban on five Communist leaders and left-wing Guardian; May 31, ANC and SAIC national executive committees decide to open the Defiance Campaign on June 26; June 26, Official opening of the Defiance Campaign; July 1 5-16, Trial and sentencing of Communist leaders for defying bans; July 30, Countrywide police raids; August, Arrest of twenty African and Indian leaders of the Defiance Campaign;found guilty on December 2; September, Arrest of fifteen leaders in Eastern Cape Province;found guilty in 1953; September, Statement by twenty-two white liberals; October 1, Beginning of the period covered by the indictment in the treason trial of 1956-1961; October-November, Riots in Port Elizabeth (October 18), Johannesburg (NoÂvember 3), Kimberley; (November 8), and East London (November 10); November 7, Banning of 52 nonwhite leaders in Eastern Cape Province; November 12, Government dismisses Lutuli as chief; November, Public meeting of whites in support of the Defiance Campaign; December 5, United Nations General Assembly decision to set up a Commission on the Racial Situation in South Africa; December 8, Patrick Duncan and other whites illegally enter African location in support of the Defiance Campaign; December 18-20, ANC conference elects Lutuli to succeed James S. Moroka as president-general

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, July 11). Chronology. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0088174

South African History Online (2012) 'Chronology', South African History Online, 11 July. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0088174 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

South African History Online, Chronology [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0088174, (accessed 12 October 2026).

"Chronology." South African History Online, 11 July 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0088174. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "Chronology." South African History Online. July 11, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/R-0088174.