1888, May 13 – Brazilian imperial family passes Lei Aurea, “the Golden Law”, making Brazil the last nation in the Western Hemisphere to formally abolish slavery. By the time it was abolished an estimated 4.5 million slaves had been imported from Africa to Brazil, 40% of the total number of slaves brought to the Americas.
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1902, May 18 – Negotiators representing Afrikaner Republics travel to Pretoria to present terms of surrender in what came to be renamed ‘The South African War’ by historian Bill Nasson.
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1903, May 18 – Lord Alfred Milner proposes conditional voting rights for ‘non-whites’ in South Africa.
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1912, May 18 – Walter Sisulu, co-founder of the ANC Youth League and Umkhonto we Sizwe, is born.
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1938, May 18 – The United Party wins the General Election in South Africa.
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1943, May 13 – During World War II in North Africa, over 250,000 Germans and Italians surrendered in the last few days of the Tunis campaign. The victory re-opened Allied shipping lanes in the Mediterranean.
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1948, May 26 – National Party won the Whites-only election in South Africa and began to institute policy of apartheid.
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1956, May 18 – The Separate Representation of Voters Amendment Act, one of the cornerstone legislations during Apartheid, commences.
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1963, May 25 – Africa Day: Established leaders of 32 African nations converged in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and formed the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The organization agreed to have an annual assembly of heads of state, a council of ministers, a general secretariat and a commission of mediation, conciliation and arbitration. Perhaps, more importantly the OAU supported the struggle for liberation in Southern African through the OAU Liberation Committee. Both the ANC and PAC received support in the struggle against apartheid from the OAU through this committee.
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1975, May 20 – A student revolt that started at the University of Mauritius swept across Mauritius. Thousands of students tried to enter Port-Louis over the Grand River North West bridge and clashed with police. Students were unsatisfied with the education systems that did not meet their aspirations and gave limited prospects for future employment. An act of Parliament was passed on 16 December 1975 to extend the right vote to 18-year-olds.
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1994, May 1 – May Day or ‘Workers Day’ has been unofficially celebrated in South Africa since the 1980s. However, the 1 May only became an officially recognised public holiday after the democratic elections of 1994. South Africa’s mining history and the development of strong Trade Unions and communist ideologies have largely determined the country’s labour history and the workers struggle.
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1994, May 10 – Inauguration of Nelson Mandela as President after the first free and fair elections in South Africa.
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1994, May 23 – After the first democratic election in 1994, South Africa joined the OAU.
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1997, May 17 – Laurent-Désiré Kabila became President of Democratic Republic of the Congo, bringing about the end of the military dictatorship of former president Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga.
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1998, May 12 – A border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia led to the Eritrean-Ethiopian War, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa.
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1999, May 29 – Current Nigerian constitution was enacted, inaugurating the Nigerian Fourth Republic.
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2001, May 26 – African Union (AU) established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, replaces OAU 38 years after its formation. The AU is a continental union, which currently consists of all 55 countries on the African continent and is committed to promoting unity, solidarity and economic growth.
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2010, May 27 – The People’s Charter Movement, which wants to see Lesotho become a part of South Africa, delivered a petition with 30,00 signatures to the South African High Commission, requesting integration.
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2013, May 15 – Ghana launched CanSat, a type of sounding rocket payload used to teach space technology. Low cost of implementation, short preparation time and simplicity of design compared to other space projects means that CanSat provides an excellent practical opportunity for students to take their first steps in space.
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2014, May 30 – Durban Municipality eThekwini Water and Sanitation Department won the Stockholm Industry Water Award for its transformative and inclusive approach to providing water and sanitation services. Remarked as the most progressive water utility in Africa, eThekwini is seen at the forefront of exploring technical and social solutions.
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