1997 in South Africa

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1997
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The Cabinet, together with the President and the Deputy President, forms part of the Executive.

19 – Denel and Aérospatiale sign a co-operation agreement.
28 – President Nelson Mandela and Prime Minister of India H. D. Deve Gowda sign the Red Fort Declaration on a Strategic Partnership during Mandela's state visit to India.

7 – South African soap opera Muvhango debuts on SABC 2.
23 – Eugène Terre'Blanche, Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging leader, is convicted of attempted murder and assault in the Magistrates Court in Potchefstroom.
26 – Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is re-elected as president of the African National Congress's Women's League by 656 votes to 114.

Dirk Coetzee, David Tshikalange and Butana Almond Nofomela, former members of the Vlakplaas counter-insurgency unit, are granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in respect of the murder of Durban attorney Griffiths Mxenge in November 1981.

2 – After broadcasting in its homeland for 7 months, the BBC preschool series Teletubbies premieres on South African television for the first time. The series begins on M-Net as part of its children's programming block K-T.V..
10 – A combined version of Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika and Die Stem van Suid-Afrika becomes the National Anthem.
30 – The South African National Defence Force announces that it had completed destroying its stock pile of anti-personnel mines.
South Africa and India sign the terms of reference of the India-South Africa Commercial Alliance and agreements in tourism, geology and mineral resources. The science and technology co-operation program is ratified.

16–20 – The African National Congress holds its 50th National Conference in Mafikeng.

Cabinet and parliamentary approval is announced by Thabo Mbeki of the Defence Review which enables the South African National Defence Force to undertake tenders for R12bn worth of arms equipment.^[2]

16 July — Lydia Lindeque, actor. (b. 1916)^[3]
25 November — Hastings Banda, the first president of Malawi, dies in Johannesburg (b. 1898)

23 February – Thabiso Moqhali from Lesotho wins the South African title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:15:31 in Pinelands.

^ Archontology.org: A Guide for Study of Historical Offices: South Africa: Heads of State: 1994-2017 (Accessed on 5 June 2017)
^ The Arms Deal in your pocket. Paul Holden. (2008).
^ Botha, Danie (2006). Voetligte en applous!: Die beginjare van die Afrikaanse beroepstoneel (in Afrikaans). Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis. p. 380. ISBN 978-1-86919-090-3.

v t e 1997 in Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland
Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)