The following lists events that happened during 1951 in South Africa. Incumbents Monarch: King George VI. Governor-General: Ernest George Jansen (starting 1 January). Prime Minister: Daniel François Malan. Chief Justice: Albert van der Sandt Centlivres. Events March 30 – The Group Areas Act, passed in 1950, becomes law. May 14 – Cabinet votes for the removal of Coloured people from the voters roll. 24 – The first part of the Afrikaans Dictionary Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT) is published, a project which was begun in 1926 by Prof. J.J. Smith of Stellenbosch University. July 29 – Blacks, Coloureds and Indians meet for the first time to discuss a plan of action against race discrimination laws. August 31 – The first Volkswagen Beetle rolls off the plant in Uitenhage. Unknown date Max Theiler, virologist, is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for developing a vaccine for yellow fever, the first South African to receive a Nobel Prize. Births 3 January – Frank Chikane, civil servant, writer and cleric 17 February – Patricia De Lille, current Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure (South Africa) and leader of the political party Good 9 March – Helen Zille, federal council chairperson of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa) 26 July – Pieter Mulder, politician and the former leader of the Freedom Front Plus 1 December – Nozipho Schroeder, lawn bowler Deaths 6 April – Robert Broom, the Scottish paleontologist who discovered Mrs Ples. (b. 1866) 23 May – Sefako Makgatho, the 2nd African National Congress president. (b. 1861) 14 October – Herman Charles Bosman, writer and journalist. (b. 1905) 5 November – Reggie Walker, athlete (b. 1889) 28 November – Clements Kadalie, trade unionist. (b. 1896) Railways Railway lines opened 13 June – Transvaal: Grootvlei to Redan, . 21 December – Transvaal: Springs to Welgedag, . Sports Canoeing 22 December – The first 200 kilometre Dusi Marathon, with four pairs of canoeists taking part, starts on the Umsindusi River which joins the Umgeni River in the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Since only Ian Player stays the course and finishes, it is declared that there is no winner. Rugby 8 December – The Springboks beat Ireland 17–5 in Ireland. References History of South Africa