The following lists events that happened during 1978 in South Africa.
Incumbents
State President: Nico Diederichs (until 21 August). Marais Viljoen (acting from 21 August until 9 October). John Vorster (from 10 October). Prime Minister: John Vorster (until 2 October). P.W. Botha (from 9 October). Chief Justice: Frans Lourens Herman Rumpff.
Events
January
Former African National Congress member Steve Mtshali, state witness in various trials, is shot and wounded.
February
2 – Guerrillas attack the Daveyton police station. 2 – Kaiser Matanzima breaks all diplomatic ties with South Africa and announces that all South African Defence Force members seconded to the Transkei Army will leave Transkei by 31 March. 2 – The Eastern Cape Attorney-General refuses to prosecute policemen involved in the arrest and detention of Steve Biko. A bomb capable of destroying a 22-storey building is found in a Johannesburg office block and defused.
March
10 – A bomb explodes outside the offices of the Bantu Affairs building in Port Elizabeth, killing one civilian.
April
14 – Abel Mthembu, former deputy president of the ANC in the Transvaal, turns state witness at the Pretoria ANC trial.
May
4 – The South African Defence Force launches an airborne attack on Cassinga in Angola during Operation Reindeer. 4 – Azanian People's Organisation members Ishmael Mkhabela and Lybon Mabasa are arrested in Soweto.
August
21 – Marais Viljoen becomes acting State President of South Africa. 23 – Operation Saffraan, a South African Defence Force retaliatory raid, is carried out in Zambia.
September
The African National Congress attempts to kill about 500 of its own cadres by poisoning their food because an infiltrated enemy agent could not be identified.
October
9 – P.W. Botha succeeds John Vorster as Prime Minister of South Africa. 10 – John Vorster becomes State President of South Africa. 31 – The South African Railways sets a still unbeaten world rail speed record.
December
A bomb explodes at the Soweto Community Council offices.
Unknown date
The South African Defence Force attacks several SWAPO bases in Angola during Operation Bruilof. The SADF's 32 Battalion moves into southern Angola to flush out SWAPO members during Operation Seiljag. George Bizos becomes a senior member of the Johannesburg Bar. The Atomic Energy Corporation builds South Africa's first nuclear weapon device. South Korea ends diplomatic relations with South Africa it established in 1961, in protest of apartheid.
Births
23 February – Siyabonga Shibe, actor
24 February – Bolla Conradie, rugby player
28 February – Rowen Fernández, football player
22 March – Heinz Winckler, singer, winner of Idols South Africa (season 1) 27 March – Professor (musician), recording artist 3 April – John Smit, Springboks, rugby captain 6 April – Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Springbok rugby player 6 May – Danie Rossouw, Jaco van der Westhuyzen 8 May – Nkhensani Kubayi-Ngubane, national minister 7 June – DuPreez Strauss, music director, TV, theatre and radio producer, composer, lyricist, writer, casting director, orchestra conductor and TV personality 25 June – De Wet Barry, Springbok rugby player 30 June – Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, national minister 8 August – Lawrence Sephaka, Springbok rugby player 10 August – Karen Zoid, singer 23 October – Wayne Julies, Springbok rugby player 7 November – Katlego Danke, actress 20 November – Neil de Kock, Springbok rugby player 18 December – Lulu Dikana, singer, older sister of singer Zonke (d. 2014) 29 December – André Pretorius, Springbok rugby player
Deaths
8 January – Rick Turner, activist and academic. (b. 1941) 12 January – Monty Naicker, medical doctor and activist. (b. 1910) 27 February – Robert Sobukwe, political activist. (b. 1924) 6 July – Papwa Sewgolum, golfer. (b. 1930) 21 August – Nico Diederichs, State President of South Africa. (b. 1903)