1986 in South Africa

1 Events
2 Births
3 Deaths

Events

January

A Soweto man throws a grenade at 3 policemen, police retailiate and kill the man
4 January – Two people are killed and two others injured when their vehicle hit an anti-tank mine at Stockpoort in the Ellisras area not far from the Botswana border
5 January – A policeman and a terrorist or freedom fighter are killed at a police roadblock on East London / King Williamstown road
7 January – A grenade is thrown at a Railways policeman in Soweto
8 January – A Pretoria sub-station is damaged by an explosion
9 January – A Limpet explodes at 21h15 and damages substation in Jacobs, Durban, later a second limpet explodes kills a policeman and injures other policemen and two electrical workers who arrive at the scene of the first explosion
18 January – Two limpets damage a sub-station in Westville, Durban
20 January – Four limpets damage a electrical pylon near Durban at 20h45. A fifth mine probably aimed at the police and repair crew explodes later with no injuries

February

An explosion at a Durban sub-station
At De Deur, a Limpet mine causes structural damage to sub-station
A hand grenade explodes in a Transkei minister's official car
2 February – A soldier and a are killed near Alldays
4 February – Four South African Army soldiers are injured when a man throws a grenade into their military vehicle at Gugulethu
9 February – A Limpet mine destroys two police vehicles at Umlazi Police station near Durban when parked after returning from riot patrol
10 February – A large bomb is defused by police in Amanzimtoti, 200m from where the December 1985 blast (for which Andrew Zondo was hanged) took place
12 February – A pick-up detonates an anti-tank mine near Messina with no injuries
16 February – A police Casspir detonates a anti-tank landmine in Mamelodi
17 February – Two policemen and two terrorist or freedom fighter are killed while one is arrested in Zwide
19 February – Explosion in toilet block near Radio Control room at the Cambridge East Police station causes no injures

March

Police come under fire at funeral in Dobsonville
3 March – Seven terrorists or freedom fighters who were arrested after skirmishes in Gugulethu are executed by police
4 March – An explosion on 3rd floor of the John Vorster Square injures two policemen and two civilians
7 March – A limpet mine is found at the Hillbrow Police Station and is safely detonated by police
12 March – Esther Masuku, mother of youth activist and SACC member Oupa Masuku, is killed in a hand grenade attack on their house in Atteridgeville

– The Eminent Persons Group meets imprisoned African National Congress leader, Nelson Mandela.

15 March – A limpet mine explodes in front of the Springs railway station, one person is seriously injured
17 March – A mini-limpet is discovered at the Afrikaans high school at Elsburg, Germiston and is safely detonated
19 March – A car belonging to a special branch policeman is destroyed by a limpet mine

– A bomb blast inside the property of the Springs New Apostolic Church

21 March – Four mines explode at a Escom sub-station in Durban
25 March – Trevor Manuel's ban is lifted
26 March – A Volsloorus man is killed by police when he allegedly threw grenade at them

April

8 April – The home of former Labour Party secretary in Natal, Kevin Leaf is attacked
10 April – A person is killed and four injured when a limpet mine explodes at Braamfontein station in Johannesburg
18 April – Two people are killed and several others injured when a bomb, set up by Phumzile Mayaphi, explodes at the Wild Coast Casino at Bizana in the Eastern Cape Province. Mayaphi is charged and found guilty of murder and sabotage and sentenced to death on 12 May 1989 in South Africa. The African National Congress denied responsibility for this attack.
21 April – In the Breyten/Chrissiesmeer district, two anti-tank landmines detonate, injuring two people in taxi and one tractor driver

– A terrorist or freedom fighter is seriously injured when he and others attack the police in Alexandra, Gauteng

23 April – An explosion at the Cala post office
24 April – An explosion at the Meyerspark post office
27 April – Gordon Webster, who was arrested by police is rescued from Edendale hospital by Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres (Robert McBride was one of the cadres). A bystander was killed and the two policemen who were guarding Webster were injured

May

Police find a 15kg bomb under a car in downtown Durban and defuse it
1 May – Two grenades are thrown at the home of Mr Klein, principal of Wentworth Primary School. Klein and his are wife both injured.
7 May – A bomb explosion causes extensive damage to Benmore Gardens Shopping Centre, Sandton
25 May – A vehicle hits an anti-tank mine on the farm of Colonel Koos Durr, near Davel. Two people are killed and eight injured
26 May – A tractor detonates a second anti-tank mine on the farm of Colonel Koos Durr, this time no injuries

June

A bomb explodes at Jabulani Amphitheatre, Soweto with no injuries
Ten people are killed in explosion in minibus in Bophutatswana
10 June – A vehicle hits an anti-tank on the farm Boshoek, 5km from Volksrust, and injures one person

– On another farm, Blomhof, also near Volksrust, an anti-tank mine injures two farmworkers

14 June – A car bomb explode outside the Magoos and Why Not bars on the Durban beachfront. The bomb kills three, injures 69. Robert McBride is later sentenced to death for the bombing
16 June – A probable anti-tank mine explosion kills three Bophuthatswana Defence Force troops in troop carrier in the Winterveldt region
22 June – Limpet mines damage fuel storage tanks and a liquid fuel pipeline at the Mobil Refinery near Durban

– A limpet mine explodes at 01h45 outside a Copper Shop on West Street, Durban

24 June – An explosion at 14h00 injures 16 people at a Wimpy Bar (resturant) on Rissik Street, Johannesburg
27 June – At a police roadblock near the Botswana border four terrorists or freedom fighters are killed and one policeman injured
28 June – An explosion just before 12h00 injures two people in a Queenstown shopping centre
29 June – An explosion at the Alice post office
30 June – A Limpet mine explodes at 03h15 on pedestrian bridge in Westville, Durban and a second limpet aimed at responding policemen explodes 15 minutes later

July

During a two-hour gun battle in Mdantsane, police kill a terrorist or freedom fighter
1 July – An explosion outside Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg injures 8 people
4 July – A limpet mine explodes outside Checkers supermarket in Silverton and injures 20 people
5 July – An explosion at the Mowbray Police station in Cape Town slightly injures two policemen

– One person is injured when their vehicle hits an anti-tank landmine near Volksrust

– In Vosloorus and Katlehong, five Development Board officials are killed in two attacks on their vehicles and two terrorists or freedom fighters are killed in the return fire

6 July – Police kill three terrorists or freedom fighters and arrest one in Empangeni
10 July – Explosion injures seven people in Silverton
22 July – A policeman is killed in Katlehong
28 July – Two terrorists or freedom fighters are killed near Nelspruit
30 July – The Umtata Police station comes under attack. Three policemen and 4 bystanders are killed

– A vehicle detonates an anti-tank landmine near Nelspruit

August

3 August – An explosion at the Lakeside post office
15 August – Trevor Manuel is detained for the second time, this time he is only released in 1988
16 August – Four terrorists or freedom fighters are killed and one injured in the eastern Transvaal, near the Swaziland border
17 August – A vehicle detonates an anti-tank landmine on the farm Stellen Rust near Nelspruit killing five and injuring two people
22 August – Inkatha Freedom Party member Winnington Sabelo comes under grenade attack and Umkhonto we Sizwe fire at car of his wife as she entered the driveway, killing her and injuring 3 children
24 August – In Imbali, the home of town councillor Austin Kwejama comes under grenade attack. One child is killed and another is injured

30/09/86 Skirmishes with SAP: N. Natal One SAP injured

September

A mini-limpet mine explodes in bar of Devonshire Hotel injuring three people (this was a popular venue for Wits students)
A grenade is thrown into crowded night club in Edenpark, Alberton
1 September – A bomb explodes at the Pick and Pay supermarket in Montclair, Durban and injures 1 person
7 September – A car bomb explodes not far from The Star's Seaside Home in Durban which is a holiday home for underprivileged children
24 September – The home of Soweto Housing Director, Del Kevin, extensively damaged by a limpet mine
30 September – Northern Natal policeman is injured in an attack

October

The police station in Newcastle is attacked
6 October – Six soldiers are injured when their military vehicle detonates an anti-tank mine at Mbuzini, near the Mozambique
20 October – A Limpet mine explodes outside the Lamontville Police station
22 October – Two anti-tank landmine explosions

November

Two offices of PUTCO is bombed in Soweto after fare increase of 17,5% announced
2 or 4 November – An anti-tank landmine explosion kills one woman and injures a child near Nelspruit
4 November – A landmine kills a soldier on horseback in the eastern Transvaal
10 November – Two bombs explode at the Newcastle Magistrates Court injuring 24 people including the Magistrate and Public Prosecutor
14 November – A landmine injures a farmer and his son in the Alldays district
23 November – A Limpet mine explode at Fordsburg flats, new housing for Sowto town councillors

December

15 December – A police vehicle detonates an anti-tank mine in the Barberton area injuring the two occupants
19 December – An anti-tank landmine injures defence force member in the Komatipoort area

– A grenade attack on home of Soweto councillor; two policemen injured

27 December – Three terrorists or freedom fighters and two policemen are killed near Messina

Births

Deaths

24 January – Sgt Makhulu, a policeman is killed in grenade attack on his home in Mamelodi
18 March – Constable Sinki Vuma is shot dead at his home in Mamelodi
11 April – Peter Nchabeleng, former president of United Democratic Front, dies while in police custody in Schoonoord, Lebowa
6 June David Lukhele, former minister of KaNgwane and his sister-in-law are killed in his home in Mamelodi, while watching television by African National Congress members, Neo Griffith Potsane, Jabu Obed Masina and Frans "Ting Ting" Masango
9 October – Lt Victor Raju, a policeman is killed in grenade attack on his home in Durban
31 October – Detective W/O Seleka is killed in grenade attack on home

Categories: 1986 | Years in South Africa