The following lists events that happened during 2020 in Southern Africa . The countries are those described in the United Nations geoscheme for Africa .
The population of Southern Africa is 67,324,356 as of April 18, 2020, based on the latest United Nations estimates. The Southern Africa population is equivalent to 0.87% of the total world population.[ 1]
Botswana - Changed its name from Bechuanaland Protectorate to Botswana when it declared its independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966. Thecapital of the Republic of Botswana is Gaborone . The country is a member of the African Union (AU) , the Commonwealth , the Southern African Development Community (SADC) , and the United Nations (UN) .[ 2]
Eswatini (Swaziland) - Was officially the Kingdom of Swaziland until 2018; it achieved its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968. The executive capital and largest city of the Kingdom of Eswatini is Mbabane ; the traditional, spiritual, and legislative capital is Lobamba . Eswatini is a member of the SADC, the AU, the Commonwealth, and the UN.[ 4]
Lesotho - A country enclaved in South Africa. Basutoland declared its independence from the United Kingdom on October 4, 1966, and became the Kingdom of Lesotho . Today it is a member of the AU, the Commonwealth, the SADC, and the UN. Its capital is Maseru .[ 6]
Namibia - The Namibian War of Independence led to independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990. Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands were ceded to the Republic of Namibia in 1994. Namibia is a member of the AU, SADC, and UN. The capital is Windhoek .[ 10]
South Africa - The Union of South Africa became a self-governing dominion of the British Empire in 1910 and became the Republic of South Africa in 1961. It ended Apartheid and gained majority rule on April 27, 1994. The administrative capital is Pretoria , the legislative capital is Cape Town , and the judicial capital is Bloemfontein .[ 12]
January and February [ edit ]
March 11 – Moshoeshoe Day , Lesotho
March 12 – At least 18 African countries, including South Africa report cases of the novel coronavirus . Most are in single figures, and no deaths have been reported in Sub-Saharan Africa.[ 19]
March 14 – Scheduled date for the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in South Africa
March 21
Independence Day, Namibia[ 11]
Human Rights Day, South Africa
April 10 – Good Friday , Christian holiday
April 13
April 18 – Prime Minister Thomas Thabane deploys the army to the streets of Lesotho to restore order.[ 20]
April 19 – Birthday of King Mswati III , Eswatini
April 22 – World Health Organization (WHO) warns that the number of malaria deaths in Africa may double this year as efforts to curb the disease wind down.[ 21]
April 26 – COVID-19 pandemic: Cuba sends 200 doctors to South Africa.[ 22]
April 27 – Freedom Day, South Africa[ 13]
April 30 – COVID-19 pandemic: Lesotho is the only African country that has not reported the virus.[ 23]
May 1 – Labour Day and International Workers' Day
May 4: Cassinga Day , Namibia
May 2 – People form lines four kilometers (2.49 miles) long to get food in Olievenhoutbosch , South Africa.[ 24] [ 25]
May 8 – Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane will step down in July as the country's leader.[ 26]
May 13 – COVID-19 pandemic: Lesotho report its first case of the virus, becoming the last country in Africa to do so.[ 27]
May 14 – Afrikaans speakers fear the language may be on the way to extinction.[ 28]
May 19 – Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane resigns.[ 8] Moeketsi Majoro is sworn in.[ 9]
May 25 – Africa Day
June 3 – Lesotho's former first lady, Maesaiah Thabane , is arrested for the murder of the previous wife of her husband and former prime minister, Thomas Thabane.[ 29]
June 8
COVID-19 pandemic: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa who says that he's worried that the country's numbers of COVID-19 are rising fast. More than half of South Africa's more than 50,000 confirmed cases and 1,000 deaths have been recorded in the last two weeks.[ 30]
South Africans in Johannesburg , Pretoria , and Cape Town protest the murder of George Floyd of Minneapolis , Minnesota, USA. The protests are also in honor of Collins Khosa, a black South African man who died after allegedly being assaulted by black soldiers enforcing the country's strict lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.[ 31]
June 12 – World Day Against Child Labor: The International Labour Organization and the UNICEF warn that millions of children are likely to be pushed into forced labor because of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.[ 32]
June 16 – Youth Day , South Africa
September and October [ edit ]
November and December [ edit ]
November 15 – Preacher Shepherd Bushiri and his wife skip bail and flee from South Africa to Malawi to avoid a fraud trial.[ 35]
Predicted and scheduled events [ edit ]
November 29, 2019 to February 1, 2020: 2019–20 CAF Champions League group stage
December 1, 2019 to February 2, 2020: 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup group stage
17 January to 9 February 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup
20 to 23 April 2020: 2020 IIHF World Championship Division III , Cape Town, South Africa
May TBA – Finals of 2020 African U-17 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament Began January 2020
June 21 – Finals of 2020 African U-20 Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament
August 8 to September 27: 2020 Rugby Championship , featuring Argentina, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.
October 5 to October 12: 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification — CAF second round
October 13: 2020 MEA Rugby League Championship , Pretoria, South Africa
Denis Goldberg
George Bizos
January 6 – Richard Maponya , 99, South African entrepreneur and property developer (b. 1920).[ 38]
January 18 – Peter Mathebula , South African WBA flyweight champion boxer (b. 1952).[ 39]
January 20 – Bicks Ndoni , South African politician (b. 1958).[ 40]
January 26 – Santu Mofokeng , 64, South African photographer; progressive supranuclear palsy [ 41]
7 February – Harold Strachan , 94, South African writer and anti-apartheid activist.[ 42]
February 11 – Joseph Shabalala , 78, founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo [ 43]
February 20 – Zoe Gail , 100, South African-born British singer and actress (No Orchids for Miss Blandish ).[ 44]
February 26 – Clinton Marius , 53, South African writer and performer[ 45]
March 21 – Sol Kerzner , 84, South African hotelier, founder of Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International , cancer.[ 46]
March 25 – Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa , 98, South African traditional healer and conspiracy theorist[ 47]
March 31 – Gita Ramjee , 63, South African HIV prevention researcher; COVID-19 .[ 48]
April 1 – Harold Rubin , 87, South African-born Israeli jazz clarinettist.[ 49]
April 3
April 29 – Denis Goldberg , 87, South African lawyer and political activist (Rivonia Trial ); lung cancer[ 52]
May 4 – Cedric Xulu , 80, South African footballer (AmaZulu F.C. ), cancer.[ 53]
May 11 – Ewie Cronje , 80, South African cricketer.[ 54]
12 May - Clarence Mini , 68, South African doctor, anti-apartheid fighter, COVID-19.[ 55]
May 19 – Mary-Anne Plaatjies van Huffel , 60, South African pastor and academic; complications from surgery[ 56]
June 2 – Jeanne Goosen , 81, South African writer.[ 57]
June 12 – Kirvan Fortuin , 28, South African dancer, choreographer and LGBTQI activist; stabbed.[ 58]
June 14 – Elsa Joubert , 97, South African Sestigers writer, COVID-19.[ 59]
July 13 – Zindzi Mandela , 59, South African diplomat and poet, daughter of Nelson Mandela [ 60]
July 21 – Andrew Mlangeni , 95, politician, anti-Apartheid activist and the last Rivonia Trialst .[ 61] [ 62]
July 22 – Theo Diergaardt , 50, Namibian politician.[ 63]
July 24 – Bernard Mohlalisi , 87, Lesothan Roman Catholic prelate, Archbishop of Maseru (1990–2009).[ 64]
August 6 – John Nkadimeng , 93, South African politician and anti-Apartheid activist.[citation needed ]
August 26 – Dirk Mudge , 92, Namibian politician; COVID-19.[ 65]
9 September – George Bizos , 92, South African human rights lawyer (Rivonia Trial ) and anti-apartheid activist.[ 66]
October to December [ edit ]
^ Letsie III previously occupied the throne November 1990 to February 1995 while his father was in exile.[ 7]
^ Prime Minister Thabane has declared his intention to resign at the end of July 2020.[ 7]
^ "Population of Southern Africa (2020) - Worldometer" . www.worldometers.info . Retrieved April 20, 2020 .
^ Parsons, Neil (April 13, 2020). "Botswana" . Encyclopaedia Britannica . Retrieved April 18, 2020 .
^ a b c CIA World Factbook: Botswana retrieved 18 Apr 2020
^ John Richard Masson. "Eswatini" . Encyclopaedia Britannica . Retrieved April 18, 2020 .
^ a b c d CIA World Factbook: Eswantini retrieved 18 Apr 2020
^ Guy, J.J.; Legum, Colin; James Hamilton Cobbe. "Lesotho" . Encyclopaedia Britannica . Retrieved April 18, 2020 .
^ a b c d e CIA World Factbook: Lesotho retrieved 18 Apr 2020
^ a b "Lesotho's prime minister resigns after pressure over murder" . ABC News . Retrieved May 19, 2020 .
^ a b "Lesotho's new PM sworn in after resignation, murder drama" . ABC News . Retrieved May 20, 2020 .
^ Reginald Herbold Green. "Namibia" . Encyclopaedia Britannica . Retrieved April 19, 2020 .
^ a b c d CIA World Factbook: Namibia retrieved April 19, 2020
^ Thompson, Leonard Monteath; Vigne, Randolph; Mabin, Alan S.; Bundy, Colin J. (Apr 19, 2020). "South Africa" . Encyclopaedia Britannica . Retrieved April 20, 2020 .
^ a b c
CIA World Factbook: South Africa retrieved April 19, 2020
^ South African court issues arrest warrant for ex-leader Zuma By Cara Anna and Mogomotsi Magome, Associated Press, ABC News, 4 Feb 2020
^ Germany's Merkel arriving in South Africa to talk trade By Mogomotsi Magome, Associated Press/ABC News, 5 Feb 2020
^ Lesotho's Political Drama - One Down, One to Go? allAfrica, Voice of America, 10 Feb 2020
^ Lesotho's first lady is charged with murdering husband's ex-wife By Brent Swails and Rapelang Radebe, CNN, 6 Feb 2020, retrieved 20 Feb 2020
^ Lesotho's prime minister to be charged with ex-wife's murder Al Jazeera, 20 Feb 2020
^ Coronavirus spreads to more African countries Al Jazeera, 12 March 2020
^ "Thomas Thabane: Lesotho's PM sends army into streets" . news.yahoo.com . Retrieved April 20, 2020 .
^ "WHO warns that malaria deaths in Africa could double this year" . Reuters . 23 April 2020. Retrieved Apr 23, 2020 .
^ "Coronavirus: Cuban doctors go to South Africa" . news.yahoo.com . Retrieved Apr 26, 2020 .
^ "Ghana's virus cases spike 10 days after lockdown is lifted" . news.yahoo.com . Retrieved May 2, 2020 .
^ "Thousands of Hungry People Line up for Food in South Africa" . U.S. News & World Report . May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2020 .
^ Kahla, Cheryl (May 2, 2020). "Olievenhoutbosch residents gather for food parcels" . The South African .
^ Nyasha Chingono and Bukola Adebayo. "Lesotho's 80-year-old PM says he's no longer 'energetic' and plans to step down" . CNN . Retrieved May 9, 2020 .
^ "Lesotho becomes last African nation to confirm a virus case" . ABC News . Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
^ Rawlings, Alex. "Is Afrikaans in danger of dying out?" . www.bbc.com . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ "Lesotho former first lady arrested in murder case" . news.yahoo.com . Retrieved June 3, 2020 .
^ "President 'worried' as South Africa's virus cases rise fast" . ABC News . Retrieved June 8, 2020 .
^ "South Africa, Kenya protest cop brutality in US and at home" . ABC News . Retrieved June 8, 2020 .
^ Schlein, Lisa (13 June 2020). "Africa: UN Agencies Warn COVID-19 Could Plunge Millions of Children into Forced Labor" . allAfrica.com . Retrieved June 13, 2020 .
^ "Botsuana investiga la muerte misteriosa de centenares de elefantes" . El País (in Spanish). 5 July 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020 .
^ "Grave riesgo de hambre en el sur de África se ceba con Zimbabue y Mozambique" . www.msn.com (in Spanish). EFE. September 7, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020 .
^ "Shepherd Bushiri: Preacher flees South Africa ahead of fraud trial" . yahoo.com . November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020 .
^ Africa Watch: 2020 is election season across Africa by Franck Kuwonu, United Nations.org,Africa Renewal: Dec 2019 to March 2020, retrieved 22 Feb 2020
^ Kahla, Cheryl (February 28, 2020). "In photos: SA stars walk the red carpet at Netflix's 'Queen Sono' premiere" . The South African .
^ "South African Business Mogul Richard Maponya Dies At 99" . iharare.com . Retrieved 26 January 2020 .
^ "SA's first black world boxing champion Peter Mathebula has died" . dispatchlive.co.za . Retrieved 26 January 2020 .
^ "Former U'hage mayor Bicks Ndoni dies" . news24.com . Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020 .
^ Santu Mofokeng, Photographer Who Elegantly Immortalized Lives of Black South Africans, Is Dead at 64
^ Umkhonto we Sizwe's first explosives whizz Harold Strachan dies
^ Joseph Shabalala, Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder dies at 78 CNN World, 11 Feb 2020
^ Zoe Gail, singer who switched on the lights in Piccadilly after the wartime blackout – obituary (subscription required)
^ Maritzburg-born playwright and actor dies suddenly
^ Sol Kerzner dies after struggle with cancer
^ Credo Mutwa passes on at 98 years old
^ JUST IN: Renowned SA scientist Gita Ramjee dies of complications due to COVID-19
^ מת הרולד רובין, מחלוצי הג'ז החופשי בישראל (in Hebrew)
^ Hans Meyer: Biography
^ General Constand Viljoen, former SADF commander and political leader, dies at 86
^ ANC Stalwart Denis Goldberg Passes Away at 87
^ Football legend 'Sugar Ray' Xulu dies aged 81
^ Ewie Cronje dies aged 80
^ Tributes pour in for Council of Medical Schemes chair Dr Clarence Mini who died of Covid-19
^ Stellenbosch University mourns death of professor after surgery
^ Jeanne Goosen sterf op 81 (in Afrikaans)
^ SA dancer and choreographer Kirvan Fortuin stabbed to death allegedly by 14-year-old girl
^ Iconic SA author Elsa Joubert, 97, dies of Covid-19
^ "Zindzi Mandela, daughter of Nelson and Winnie, dies at 59" . ABC News . Retrieved July 13, 2020 .
^ "South African anti-apartheid icon Andrew Mlangeni dies at 95" . ABC News . Retrieved July 22, 2020 .
^ Anti-apartheid stalwart Andrew Mlangeni has died
^ Geingob conveys condolences on death of ex-deputy minister
^ Catholic Church Southern Africa Mourns the Passing on of Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Mohlalisi, omi of Maseru – Lesotho
^ Dirk Mudge dies at 92
^ Human rights advocate George Bizos has died
^ Outgoing Auditor General Kimi Makwetu Passes Away
^ "Eswatini's prime minister, who tested positive for COVID-19, dies" . news.yahoo.com . Yahoo News. Reuters. December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020 .
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African territories fully part of non-African states
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