Transkei
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The Transkei (meaning the area beyond [the river] Kei), nominally the Republic of Transkei (Xhosa: iRiphabliki yeTranskei) , was a Bantustan and nominal parliamentary democracy in the southeastern region of South Africa. The Transkei was bordered by the Umtamvuna River in the north and the Great Kei River in the south, while the Indian Ocean and the Drakensberg mountain range of the landlocked kingdom of Lesotho served as the Transkei's respective eastern and western frontiers.[1] Its capital was Mthatha, usually given as 'Umtata' on maps and in English-language medium materials.[2] In 1994, it was reintegrated into South Africa and became part of the Eastern Cape province.
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[edit] History
[edit] Establishment
The area was set up as one of the two homelands for Xhosa-speaking people, the other being Ciskei; it was given nominal autonomy in 1963. Although the first election was contested and won by the Democratic Party, the actual government was formed by the Transkei National Independence Party, and of the 109 members in the regional parliament, only 45 were elected, the remaining seats held by ex officio chiefs.[3]
The entity became a nominally independent state in 1976 with its capital at Umtata (now Mthatha), although it was recognised only by South Africa and later – internally – by the other nominally independent republics within the TBVC-system. Chief Kaizer Daliwonga Matanzima was installed as its president.
[edit] Comments and Reactions
South African prime minister B. J. Vorster justified the declaration of Transkei as an independent republic by referring to "the right of every people to have full control over its own affairs" and wished "Transkei and its leaders God's richest blessings on the road ahead."[4]
A press release by the African National Congress at the time rejected the Transkei's independence and condemned it as "designed to consolidate the inhuman policies of apartheid".[5] During its thirty-first session, in resolution A/RES/31/6 A, the general assembly of the United Nations referred to Transkei's "sham independence" as "invalid," re-iterated its labeling of South Africa as a "racist régime," and called upon "all [g]overnments to deny any form of recognition to the so-called independent Transkei."[6] An article published in Time Magazine opined that though Transkei declared independence theoretically as a "free Black state," Matanzima ruled the territory as a de facto puppet-state dictator, banning local opposition parties and buying for himself and his family Transkei farmlands offered by the South African government at subsided prices.[7]
Matanzima himself published Independence my Way in 1976, a book in which he argued that true liberation could only be gained through a confederation of black states; he described Transkei as a positive precedent and maintained that the path of the liberation struggle chosen by the ANC would not be successful.[8]
[edit] Troubled Existence
Throughout its existence, Transkei's economy remained dependent on that of its larger neighbor, with the local population being recruited into South Africa's Rand mines.[9]
Because of a territorial dispute,[10] Matanzima announced on 10 April 1978 that Transkei would break all diplomatic ties with South Africa,[11] including a unilateral withdrawal from the non-aggression pact between the two governments, and ordered that all South African Defence Force members seconded to the Transkei Army should leave. This created the unique situation of a country refusing to deal with the only internationally recognised nation it was recognised by. Matanzima soon backed down in the face of Transkei's dependence on South African economic aid. In 1980, he deposed the king of the Thembu people, Sabata Dalindyebo,[citation needed] and in the 1981 election, the ruling Transkei National Independence Party was reelected, gaining 100% of all open seats. [12]
In 1987, there was a coup d'état, led by General Bantu Holomisa, the then-leader of the Transkei Defence Force, the homeland's officially sanctioned military units. Though both the South African government and the government of Transkei denied rumours of such a coup,[13] Holomisa became the Head of State,[14] and the Transkei was from that point onwards effectively in (often uneasy) alliance with the African National Congress and provided a relatively safe area for the ANC's activities. In 1990, Holomisa himself evaded a failed attempt to be ousted from his post, and Holomisa when asked about the fate of his opponents, he claimed that they had died in the ensuing battles with TDF soldiers. [15] It was later found that those deemed responsible had only suffered minor injuries, but were subsequently executed without trial.[16]
[edit] Dissolution
The Transkei government was a participant in the Codesa negotiations for a new South Africa. The territory was reincorporated into South Africa, on 27 April 1994, and the area became part of the Eastern Cape province.
[edit] Geography and Demographics
The Transkei had an area covering a total of 45,000 sq km,[17] with many rivers flowing from the mountains to the oceans, and was unlike much of South Africa, relatively unscathed by drought.
The majority of the population was Xhosa-speaking, and according to the Constitution of the Republic of Transkei, Xhosa was the sole official language, whereas Sesotho, English, and Afrikaans were permissible in court proceedings and for other administrative purposes.[18] In addition, many thousands of northern Transkei residents spoke a small hybrid Nguni–Sotho language, called Phuthi.[19]
Conflicting data exist about the number of inhabitants. According to the South African Encyclopaedia, the total population of the Transkei increased from 2,487,000 to 3,005,000 between 1960 and 1970. [20] An estimate of 1982 puts the number at about 2.3 million, with approximately 400,000 citizens residing permanently outside the territory's borders. Less than 10,000 individuals were of European descent, and the urbanization-rate for the entire population was around 5%.[17]
[edit] Security Forces
The Transkei Defence Force (TDF) was formed in October 1976 and numbered about 2,000, including one infantry battalion and an air wing with two light transports and two helicopters.[21] During its last days in 1994, the Transkei Police had 4,993 police officers, operating from 61 police stations throughout the territory. [22]
[edit] Notable Persons
- Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, former president of the ANC and President of South Africa 1994-1999
- Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, Co-Deputy President of South Africa 1994-1996, Deputy President of South Africa 1996-1999, President of South Africa 1999-2008
- Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki, former South African politician and leader of the ANC
- Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu, former South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the ANC
- Chief Kaizer Daliwonga Matanzima, Transkei's first and longest serving president until 1986
- Bantu Holomisa, Chief of Staff of the Transkei Defense Force 1985-1987, Transkei's head of State 1987-1994, South African Member of Parliament, President of the United Democratic Front
[edit] References
| Historical states in present-day South Africa |
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- ^ Transkei, 'South African History Online, Retrieved on 2009-07-10.
- ^ Constitution of the Republic of Transkei, Chapter 1, 1(2)
- ^ http://www.eisa.org.za/WEP/soubg2.htm
- ^ B.J. Vorster, Selected Speeches. Message to Transkei on the eve of Independence, July 1976
- ^ Statement by the African National Congress GA/5498, 26 October 1976
- ^ Resolution A/RES/31/6 A, General Assembly of the United Nations, 42nd plenary meeting, 26 October 1976
- ^ The Transkei Puppet Show, TIME Magazine, 25 October 1976
- ^ Matanzima, Kaizer D. Independence my Way. Foreign Affairs Association. Pretoria:1976
- ^ Bush, Barbara. Imperialism, race, and resistance: Africa and Britain, 1919–1945. New York: Routledge. 1999. p147
- ^ Wood, Geoffrey and Greg Mills.The present and future role of the Transkei defence force in a changing South Africa. in Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 1469-9397, Vol 11, Issue 2, 1992, Pages 255 – 269
- ^ Transkei Breaks Diplomatic Tie, Its Only One, With South Africans, New York Times, April 11, 1978
- ^ http://africanelections.tripod.com/za_homelands.html
- ^ Six Cabinet Ministers Resign in Transkei Scandal, New York Times, September 25, 1987
- ^ General Bantubonke Harrington "Bantu" Holomisa (profile), Who's Who in Southern Africa, 24.com, Retrieved on 2009-07-12.
- ^ Black Homeland reports uprising, New York Times, November 23, 1990
- ^ Thruth Body hears startling new claims on Transkei coup attempt., South African Press Association. June 19, 1996
- ^ a b Atlas of Transkei —a cartographical project in a developing country in GeoJournal. Vol 6 No 6. Spring, Netherlands: 1982
- ^ Constitution of the Republic of Transkei, Chapter 3, 16
- ^ Neither South Africa nor Lesotho release official statistics on the number of speakers. Its status as a language in its own right is disputed. Ethnologue lists Phuti as a dialect of Sotho, and research on the language is scarce.
- ^ South African Encyclopaedia. Naspers. Johannesburg:1972
- ^ http://www.photius.com/countries/south_africa/national_security/south_africa_national_security_homeland_militaries.html
- ^ 'Policing Agencies: 1994, Prior to Amalgamation: South Africa'. Website of the South African Police Service.
[edit] See also
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