Mokoena Deaths 26 April – Frederick Guy Butler, poet, academic and writer (b. 1918) 1 June – Nkosi Johnson, HIV/AIDS activist. (b. 1989) 13 August – Fanie du Plessis, athlete. (b. 1930) 19 August – Donald Woods, journalist and activist. (b. 1933) 30 August – Govan Mbeki, South African political activist and the father of Thabo Mbeki. (b. 1910) 2 September – Christiaan Barnard, cardiac surgeon. (b. 1922) 26 November – Joe Modise, South African political activist. (b. 1929) 4 December – Marike de Klerk, former first lady. (b. 1941) Railways Locomotives The first of seventeen Class 7E3, Series 1 and Series 2 dual-cab electric locomotives are rebuilt by Spoornet to single-cabs and enter service reclassified to Class 7E4. Sports Athletics 4 March – Ian Syster wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:13:30 in Durban. See also 2001 in South African television References South Africa Years in South Africa History of South Africa