This week in African History (2 November – 8 November)

• 1930, 2 November: Haile Selassie is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia
• 1986, 3 November: Joaquim Chissano is chosen to succeed Samora Machel (who was killed in a plane crash in South Africa, Oct 19) as President of Mozambique.
• 1955, 4 November: Emperor Haile Selassie, celebrating his silver jubilee, introduces a more liberal constitution in Ethiopia.
• 1969, 5 November: South African Springbok rugby tour in UK is disrupted by anti-apartheid demonstration.
• 1964, 6 November: White referendum in Southern Rhodesia is overwhelmingly in support of Ian Smith’s proposal for independence.
• 1962, 7 November: Nelson Mandela is sentenced to five years for “incitement and leaving South Africa illegally. Mandela was identified as the “mouthpiece and mastermind” behind a call for a national strike and a founder member of the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), he was smuggled out of South Africa to speak at an African freedom conference in Addis Abada.
• 1956, 8 November: British and French forces halt military operations in the Suez Canal Zone under a UN cease-fire agreement that will replace them with an international peace keeping force.