South Africa Public Holidays News and Updates

2021 (public news feed delayed by 30 days)

• Jun
• 14
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• South African 2023 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2023.
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2020

• Dec
• 3
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• South African 2022 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2022.
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• Nov
• 11
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• South African Calls For Deepavali Public Holiday

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - The South African Hindu Dharma Sabha and the South African Hindu Youth Movement have written to the president of South Africa, the minister of Home Affairs and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (aka. CRL Rights Commission), to request that Deepavali be included in the list of annual public holidays in South Africa, via an amendment to the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994.
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• Oct
• 24
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• South African 2021 Public Holidays Amended

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has released an amended version of its previously-released list of the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2021.
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• Oct
• 16
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• South African 2021 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2021.
• full story

2019

• Feb
• 25
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• South African May 8 Public Holiday Gazetted

  BuaNews (Pretoria) - South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has issued Proclamation No. 9 of 2019 ("Declaration of 8 may 2019 as a public holiday") declaring Wednesday, May 8, 2019, a public holiday to allow South Africans once more to exercise their democratic right to vote.
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• Feb
• 7
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• South African Public Holiday May 8

  BuaNews (Pretoria) - South Africa's President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has announced that Wednesday, May 8, 2019, would be the date of the next general elections in South Africa, and would be declared a public holiday to allow South Africans once more to exercise their democratic right to vote.
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2018

• Dec
• 15
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• South African 2020 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2020.
• full story

• Jan
• 14
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• South African 2019 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2019.
• full story

2017

• Jan
• 15
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• South African 2018 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2018.
• full story

2016

• Sep
• 19
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• South African Public Holiday December 27

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - Following formal requests from the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), South African President, Jacob Zuma, has declared a one-off additional non-working public holiday throughout the Republic of South Africa for Tuesday, December 27, 2016, based on section 2(1) of the "Public Holidays Act 1994".
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• Sep
• 15
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• South Africa Mulls December 27 Public Holiday

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - The spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), Sizwe Pamla, has asked South African President, Jacob Zuma, to once again declare a one-off additional non-working public holiday on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, to compensate the fact that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday in 2016.
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• Jun
• 24
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• South African Electoral Public Holiday August 3

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - South African President, Jacob Zuma, has finally declared Wednesday, August 3, 2016, the date of the upcoming South African Local Government Elections, as a one-off non-working public holiday in South Africa.
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• Jun
• 18
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• South African Local Elections August 3

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the date of the upcoming South African Local Government Elections as Wednesday, August 3, 2016, midweek as was the case 5 years ago, when it was also declared as a one-off non-working public holiday in South Africa.
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• Jan
• 12
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• South African 2017 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual non-working public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2017.
• full story

2015

• Jan
• 5
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• South African 2016 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2016.
• full story

2014

• Jul
• 20
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• South Africa Mulls Mandela Public Holiday

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - South African Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has announced that the South African government was considering turning Mandela Day into an annual non-working public holiday in South Africa.
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• Feb
• 21
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• South African Public Holiday May 7

  BuaNews (Pretoria) - South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, has declared Wednesday, May 7, 2014, a public holiday to allow South Africans once more to exercise their democratic right to vote in the General Elections which will be held on that day.
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• Feb
• 13
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• South African 2015 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the annual public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2015.
• full story

2013

• Dec
• 6
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• South African Mandela Public Holiday Ruled-Out

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government has announced that the upcoming period of mourning for former President, Nelson Mandela, will not be accompanied by any one-off non-working public holidays in South Africa.
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• Apr
• 29
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• South African Public Holidays Review Complete

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (aka. CRL Rights Commission) has announced that it had submitted a report with recommendations to the president's office, following its review of the list of official public holidays in South Africa.
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• Feb
• 6
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• South African 2014 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2014.
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2012

• Jul
• 9
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• South African Public Holidays Review Update

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (aka. CRL Rights Commission) has announced that its current review of the list of official public holidays in South Africa, with a view to reducing the number of Christian public holidays, would leave Christmas and Good Friday untouched.
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• Jun
• 11
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• South African Public Holidays To Be Reviewed

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - South Africa's Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has announced that it had been tasked with another review of the list of official public holidays in South Africa, with a view to reducing the number of Christian public holidays.
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• Apr
• 5
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• South African April 30 Public Holiday Ruled-Out

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has issued an announcement to remind all that Monday, April 30, 2012, is not one of the official South African non-working public holidays announced for the calendar year 2012.
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• Jan
• 27
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• South African 2013 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) - The South African Government Communication and Information System has announced the dates of the public holidays in South Africa for the calendar year 2013.
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2011

• Dec
• 14
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• South African Additional Public Holiday On December 27

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - South African Presidential Spokesman, Thabo Masebe has announced that Acting President, Kgalema Motlanthe, based on section 2A of the Public Holidays Act, had declared a one-off additional non-working public holiday throughout the Republic for Tuesday, December 27, 2011.
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• Dec
• 13
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• South African December 27 Public Holiday Push

  South African Press Association (Pretoria) - The general secretary of the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), Dennis George, has asked South African President, Jacob Zuma, to declare a one-off additional non-working public holiday on Tuesday, December 27, 2011.
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• Mar
• 16
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• South Africa Declares May 18 Public Holiday

  Independent Online (Johannesburg) - South African President, Jacob Zuma, has finally declared Wednesday, May 18, 2011, the day of the upcoming local government elections, as a one-off non-working public holiday throughout South Africa.
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• Mar
• 3
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• South African Electoral Public Holiday On May 18

  Independent Online (Johannesburg) - South African acting President, Kgalema Motlanthe, has announced that the upcoming Local Government Elections would be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011.
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• Feb
• 7
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• South Africa To Declare Midweek Electoral Public Holiday

  Eyewitness News (Johannesburg) - A spokesperson for South African Cooperative Governance Minister, Sicelo Shiceka, has confirmed that the date of the upcoming local government elections will be a non-working public holiday.
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2010

• Aug
• 26
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• South Africa Could Get New Public Holiday In 2011

  Fin24 (Cape Town) - South Africa's Statistician General, Pali Lehohla, has been quoted as proposing that the upcoming 2011 national census day should be declared a non-working public holiday.
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• Apr
• 15
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• South Africa Could Declare Census Day Public Holiday

  Independent Online (Johannesburg) - The communications manager of Statistics SA (South Africa's Statistics Institute), Trevor Oosterwyk, has given an interview in which it is expected that October 10, 2011, would be the date of the upcoming census in South Africa.
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• Mar
• 26
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• South African 2011-2012 Public Holidays Announced

  South African Department of Education (Pretoria) - The Department of Education of South Africa has announced the dates of the special one-off bridge holidays for schools, for the calendar years 2011 and 2012.
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• Jan
• 20
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• South African President Rules-Out February 11 Public Holiday

  Fin24 (Johannesburg) - South African President, Jacob Zuma, has announced that, February 11, 2010, the date of his upcoming State of the Nation address would not be a public holiday, as had been widely rumoured.
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• Jan
• 11
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• South Africa Could Consider January 8 Public Holiday

  The Cape Times (Cape Town) - The Eastern Cape secretary to South Africa's ruling ANC party, Oscar Mabunyane, has confirmed that the issue of declaring a January 8, ANC birthday public holiday, would be raised during the party's national general council meeting in September.
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2009

• Nov
• 22
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• South Africa Petitioned For Arrival Day Public Holiday

  Press Trust of India (PTI) - A coalition of South African Indian cultural, religious and political leaders have asked the government of South Africa to declare a public holiday on November 16, 2010, to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured laborers from India.
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• Jun
• 30
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• South Africa Mandela Day Holiday Update

  The Independent Online (Pretoria) - From recent media reports, it would appear that the recently announced, July 18, Nelson Mandela Day, will not be an official public holiday.
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• Jun
• 4
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• South Africa Adds Mandela Public Holiday

  AfricaNews (Pretoria) - In his first State of the Union Address, yesterday, South African President, Jacob Zuma, has announced a new annual national holiday, on July 18, to honor Nelson Mandela.
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• Apr
• 30
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• South Africa Considering Non-Trading Public Holidays

  Independent Online (Pretoria) - South Africa's labour federation general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, has appealed to the government to pass legislation so that retail workers would not be forced to work on "the most emotional" public holidays such as Freedom Day on April 27, Workers Day on May 1, Youth Day on June 16 and Women's Day on August 9.
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• Apr
• 22
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• South Africa Declares World Cup Extended School Holidays

  Pretoria News (Pretoria) - South Africa's chief director of communications for the Department of Education, Dr Granville Whittle, has announced that South African schools will enjoy an extended holiday break during the FIFA 2010 World Cup.
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• Apr
• 18
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• South Africa's Presidential Inauguration Date Set

  BuaNews (Johannesburg) - South Africa government spokesperson, Themba Maseko, has announced that the upcoming presidential inauguration would be held on May 9th, 2009, for the first time ever on a Saturday.
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• Mar
• 19
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• South Africa Declares April 22 Public Holiday

  BuaNews (Pretoria) - South Africa's President, Kgalema Motlanthe, has declared Wednesday, April 22, 2009, a public holiday to allow South Africans to exercise their democratic right to vote in the General Elections will be held on that day.
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• Feb
• 10
• full story

• South Africa Will Hold National Elections On April 22

  Bloomberg (NYC) - The government of South Africa has announced that the upcoming national elections (presidential and legislative) would be held on Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
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• Feb
• 4
• full story

• South Africa Election Date To Be Announced Friday

  BuaNews (Johannesburg) - South Africa's President, Kgalema Motlanthe, is expected to announce the date of the upcoming elections during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in front of Parliament, this coming Friday.
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2008

• Nov
• 12
• full story

• South African 2010 Public Holidays Announced

  SA Dept. of Education - In its Gazette 31590, Government Notice 1203, of November 10, 2008, the Department of Education of South Africa has announced the dates of the special one-off bridge holidays for schools, for 2010.
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• Jun
• 24
• full story

• South Africa Postpones June 24 Day Of Mourning

  AFP - Earlier today, Government spokesman, Themba Maseko, announced that the national day of mourning scheduled for today, had been postponed.
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• Jun
• 14
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• South Africa Declares Country-Wide June 24 Day Of Mourning

  SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) - The South African government has declared June 24, 2008, as the national day of mourning for the victims of the recent xenophobic violence, but has specified that this day would not be a public holiday.
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• Apr
• 19
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• South Africa Extends 2010 Winter School Holidays To 5 Weeks

  The Daily News (Johannesburg) - The education department is proposing a five-week school break (June 10 to July 12, 2010) during the 2010 Soccer World Cup to avoid pupil and teacher absenteeism and a chaotic transport system.
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• Mar
• 18
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• South Africa One-Off May 2nd Public Holiday

  Eyewitness News (Johannesburg) - South African President, Thabo Mbeki, will declare Friday May 2, 2008, a one-off bridge public holiday, to compensate for the fact that the 2 public holidays of Human Rights Day and Good Friday occur on the same day, March 21, in 2008.
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• Mar
• 11
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• South Africa's Unions Asking For March 20 Public Holiday

  The Times of South Africa - the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) asked South African President, Thabo Mbeki, to make Thursday, March 20, 2008, a one-off public holiday.
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• Feb
• 24
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• South African 2009 Public Holidays Announced

  SA Dept. of Education - In its Gazette 30787, Government Notice 200, of February 20, the Department of Education of South Africa has announced the dates of the special one-off bridge holidays for schools, for 2009.
• full story

2007

• Mar
• 30
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• South Africa Contemplating New Hindu Jewish And Muslim Public Holidays

  IOL (Independent Online) - The ANC, South Africa's ruling party, in preparation for its June policy conference, is considering the addition of public holidays for each of the following religions: Hindu, Muslim and Jewish.
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• Feb
• 2
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• South Africa Not Declaring a Public Holiday For Adelaide Tambo

  On-Site Reporting - As of today, there have been no reports of any official public holiday mourning the passing away, on January 31st, of Adelaide Tambo, the widow of African National Congress' anti-apartheid movement hero, Oliver Tambo (after whom the Johannesburg airport was recently renamed).
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2006

• Mar
• 22
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• South African 2007-2008 Public Holidays Announced

  SA Dept. of Education - In its Gazette 28637, Notice 244, of March 17, the Department of Education of South Africa has announced the dates of the special one-off bridge holidays for schools, for 2007 and 2008.
• full story

2005

• Oct
• 14
• full story

• South Africa Will Not Have December 27 Public Holiday

  Statement from Home Affairs (Pretoria) - Late yesterday, a spokesperson for South Africa's Home Affairs announced that December 27, 2005, would not be a public holiday in South Africa.
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2004

• Feb
• 24
• full story

• South Africa Declares One-Off April 14 Public Holiday

  South African Government Information Sevices - The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections date, Wednesday, April 14, 2004, has been declared a one-off public holiday, as per the Gazette 26075 / Regulation Gazette 7898 of February 19, 2004.
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• Feb
• 12
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• South Africa's President Intends For Election Day Public Holiday

  Xinhua - South African presidential spokesman, Bheki Khumalo, has confirmed that the President, Thabo Mbeki, intends to declare election day on April 14 as a one-off public holiday.
• full story

2003

• Nov
• 6
• full story

• South Africa To Review Official Public Holidays

  Statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Pretoria) - South African Minister of Home Affairs and President of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has announced that he had been mandated by the South African Cabinet to chair an inter-departmental task team to review the South African official public holidays calendar.
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2000

• Nov
• 23
• full story

• South Africa Declares December 5 Public Holiday

  South African Chamber of Business - South Africa's Chamber of Business has confirmed that the government of South Africa had decided to declare Tuesday, December 5, 2000, an official public holiday throughout South Africa.
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1999

• Apr
• 28
• full story

• South Africa Declares Election Day A Public Holiday

  Xinhua - South Africa's cabinet has decided that this year's election day, June 2, would be a nationwide public holiday.
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