2009 in South Africa

Incumbents

• President:
• * Kgalema Motlanthe.
• * Jacob Zuma.
• Deputy President: Baleka Mbete, Kgalema Motlanthe.
• Chief Justice: Pius Langa then Sandile Ngcobo.

  Events

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

• 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".

• 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.

• 7 - All charges against Jacob Zuma and French arms manufacturer Thint over the South African arms deal are officially withdrawn in the Durban High Court.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%.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.
• 11 January - Ludumo Galada, boxer.
• 6 April - Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, politician.
• 13 October - Winston Mankunku Ngozi, musician.
• 3 December - Curtis Nkondo, activist, educator, politician and ambassador.
• 16 December - Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, politician.
• 31 December - Masego Kgomo, murder victim.

  Railways

Locomotives

• Two new Cape gauge locomotive types enter service on Transnet Freight Rail :
• * 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.