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The following lists events that happened during 1878 in South Africa.
Contents
Incumbents
Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and High Commissioner for Southern Africa: Henry Barkly.
Lieutenant-governor of the Colony of Natal: Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer.
State President of the Orange Free State: Jan Brand.
State President of the South African Republic: Thomas François Burgers.
Lieutenant-Governor of Griqualand West: William Owen Lanyon.
Prime Minister of the Cape of Good Hope: John Gordon Sprigg.
Events
March
12 – Commander R.C. Dryer takes possession of the area surrounding Walvis Bay.
May
14 – Paul Kruger leads a second deputation to the United Kingdom to demand the freedom of the South African Republic.
July
17 – Nqwiliso, tribal chief of western Mpondoland and eldest son of the warrior Chief Ndamase, ceded sovereign rights of Umzimvubu River mouth to the Cape Colony
December
11 – The British present an ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo, triggering the Anglo-Zulu War.
Unknown date
The 9th Cape Frontier War ends.
The first telephones are set up in the Cape.
The telegraph service between Natal and Transvaal is opened.
The British suspend the elected Cape Government and assume direct control, after escalating disagreements on confederation and frontier policy.
The last confirmed Cape lion dies.
Births
14 March – Alexander du Toit, geologist. (d. 1948)
Railways
Railway lines opened
25 May – Natal – Umgeni to Avoca, 4 miles 21 chains (6.9 kilometres).
1 August – Cape Midland – Glenconnor to Mount Stewart, 48 miles 70 chains (78.7 kilometres).
15 August – Cape Eastern – Kei Road to Döhne, 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 kilometres).
15 August – Cape Eastern – East London to Landing Jetty, 1 mile 58 chains (2.8 kilometres).
4 September – Natal – Durban to Pinetown, 17 miles 15 chains (27.7 kilometres).
CGR 0-4-0ST Aid
4 November – Cape Western – Kleinstraat to Grootfontein, 86 miles 49 chains (139.4 kilometres).
Locomotives
The Cape Government Railways places a second locomotive in service on construction work on the Kowie harbour project at Port Alfred, a 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) broad gauge 0-4-0 saddle-tank engine named Aid.