Monday, February 5, 1900
Anglo-Boer War 2: Gen. Redvers Buller conquered Vaalkrans at the Tugela river, but shelling from both sides continued and the British forces had to evacuate their positions two days later.
Friday, February 5, 1915
World War 1: Gen. Louis Botha left for South West Africa to take control of the Union troops who would later conquer the area from Germany.
Friday, February 5, 1937
The Rev. Mr Josephus Johannes Kuhn, poet and versifier of the first Afrikaans Psalms, died.
Monday, February 5, 1951
Theo Wendt (76), first conductor of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, first musical director of the Broadcasting Organisation and principal conductor of the SABC symphony orchestra, died.
Wednesday, February 5, 1958
Joachim Paulus Schönfeldt, SA sculptor, was born in Pretoria.
Tuesday, February 5, 1963
A white family was killed in their caravan whilst camping on the Bashee River in the Engcobo area of the Transkei. Forty Africans were later arrested and twenty-two sentenced to death for the murders, allegedly by Poqo members.
Friday, February 5, 1971
Dr Albert Stals (71), SA Minister of Health, died in Cape Town.
Friday, February 5, 1982
Neil Aggett, South African worker’s union leader, committed suicide while in detention, allegedly by hanging himself with a scarf. He was the first white to die in detention.
Tuesday, February 5, 1985
Foreign Minister ‘Pik’ Botha accused Botswana of harbouring ANC guerrillas.
Wednesday, February 5, 1992
Precious Chiliza (6), Nkanyiso Sithole (9) and Noluthando Mkhezi (11) were killed when sixteen gunmen opened fire on the car of Abdul Awetha, senior Inkatha official and deputy-mayor of Imbali.
Friday, February 5, 1999
President Nelson Mandela delivered his last major address to parliament.
Tuesday, February 5, 2002
In Durban, a commuter train collided with a freight train and eighteen people were killed.
All information taken from http://www.sahistory.org.za/this_day/05/02
