The Transkei was a Bantoustan located in old the provinces of the Cape and the Natal of South Africa, today in the Cape-Eastern . First autonomous Bantustan in 1960, Transkei was a state independent not recognized 1976 with 1994 within the framework of the mode of Apartheid. It almost exclusively gathered African of the Ethnie and phrase Xhosa (to 99%).

The name Transkei is formed of the accolation of the name of the river Kei and the Latin suffix trans (meaning beyond , after ). Transkei thus means territory beyond the river Kei .

History

Fatherland of the ethnos group Xhosa, the river Great Fish constituted of 1779 with 1819 the Eastern border of the Colonie of the Cape with the indigenous territories Xhosas.

Starting from 1779, the Wars Kaffirs or wars of borders between the British Xhosas warriors and colonists and soldiers made initially move back this Eastern border on the river Keiskamma (district of Albany, old Zuurveld) then on the Kei river.

The new Cafre war started in December 1834 leads the British to annex the territory between Keiskamma and the Kei river under the name of province of the Queen Adelaide. In 1836, the area is reassigned in Xhosas but the war takes again in 1846 and the area is finally annexed like possession of the Crown under the name of British Cafrerie.

The territory corresponding to Transkei, located upstream Kei river, is then colonized little by Europeans.

Starting from 1879, the territories Xhosas d' Idutywa, of Fingoland (Mfenguland) and Galekaland (Gcalekaland), upstream of Kei, are gradually annexed and restructured in division of Butterworth, Tsomo, Nqamakwe, Kentani, Willowvale and Idutywa.

In 1882, more than 10 thousand Europeans are installed in the Xhosas territories.

Between 1884 and 1886, it is then the turn of Griqualand-Is, Bomvanaland and Thembuland (Tembuland) to be annexed then finally, in 1894, of Pondoland at the border of the Native one.

The Parliament of the Cape then decides to resort to a system of indigenous councils to manage all these new territories together. The first with being equipped with councils are the districts of Butterworth, Idutywa, Nqamakwe and Tsomo, gathered within a general advice of Transkei. They are joined in 1899 by the district of Kentani then in 1903 by 7 other councils of Thembuland and of Griqualand-Is (Emboland).

In 1903, the general advice of Transkei leaves the place to a General advice of the territories of Transkei.

In 1911, it is joined by the districts of Libode, Ngqeleni and Port St Johns (Western Pondoland) which train together the general advice of Pondoland, which is joined in 1927 by the districts of Pondoland-Is (Bizana, Flagstaff, Lusikisiki and Tabankulu).

After the First World War, it is used as tank of labor at a cheap rate for the mines of Or of Johannesburg in the Transvaal, in particular after the great strike of the minors afrikaners, who block the mines of the Witwatersrand in 1922, and severely repressed by the government of Jan Smuts.

In 1931, the General advice of the territories of Transkei and the general advice of Pondoland are amalgamated to train the General advice of the plain territories transkeiens (or Bunga). Composed of an executive council of 4 magistrates and 4 representatives of Bunga. This one is the equivalent of an indigenous Parliament, charged to legislate on the indigenous laws and habits applying to the territory. In 1956, Bunga and the 24 districts are removed and leave the place to a territorial authority and local authorities and tribal.

The May 29th 1959, the government of the South-African national Parti creates the Bantustans of Ciskey and Transkei for the Xhosa people. The territorial Authority of Transkei is born.

In May 1963, Transkei acquires the autonomy. It will then be directed of an iron hand by Kaizer Matanzima, a nephew of Nelson Mandela.

The October 26th 1976, Transkei is the first Bantustan to be reached the Indépendance, not recognized by the majority of the other states of the international community nor by UNO.

Of 1978 with 1980, Transkei will in vain negotiate territorial modifications with South Africa. This will create the single situation of a country refusing to negotiate with the only nation which recognized it.

In 1980, Kaizer Matanzima, whose mode is increasingly authoritative, deposits Sabata Dalindyebo, the king of the people Thembus, one of the Xhosa ethnos groups.

In 1987, a Coup d'etat carried out by Bantu Holomisa shift the corrupted mode of George Matanzima, the brother of Kaiser Matanzima. Autoproclamé Head of the State, chair military council and Minister for defense, Holomisa recognizes officially the artifice of the independence granted by South Africa but it benefits from it to grant immunity to the militants of the armed wings of the African National congress (or ANC) and of the Panafrican Congrès which come to be involved at the sides of the armed forces of Transkei.

During the South-African constitutional negotiations between 1991 and 1994, Holomisa joined ANC and makes reincorporate Transkei in South Africa (in spite of the opposition of a minority but considerable part of the population).

In 1994, Transkei became the part Is new province of the Cape-Eastern .

Geography

Located in the East of the South Africa, the major part of Transkei was bordered in the East by the Indian Ocean, in North by the Umtavuma river, the South by the Kei river and the West by the Monts Drakensberg and the Lesotho.

In the beginning, Transkei was formed of the old Xhosas territories which were Idutywa Reserve, Fingoland (Mfenguland) and Galekaland (Gcalekaland). Following their annexation with the colony of the Cape, they were reorganized in divisions of Butterworth, Tsomo and Nqamakwe for Fingoland; Kentani and Willowvale for Galekaland.

Transkei comprised two Enclave s : one in the the Cape Province in edge with Lesotho and one in the province of the Native .

The capital and more big city were Umtata (Mthata).

Contrary to the other areas of South Africa, Transkei is a wet region made up of green plains and many rivers.

Policy

The Parlement of Transkei was composed of a legislative assembly of 150 members (75 elected officials and 75 named among local leaders) with a five years mandate. At their head, a president of the assembly was elected for seven years. The executive was composed of a Gouvernement and a Prime Minister persons in charge before the legislative assembly.

The National Transkei Independence Party or TNIP (for Left national the independence of Transkei ) was the party in power. There existed also another party, the Democratic Party ( Democratic party ).

The two political parties were dissolved the December 30th 1987 with the coup d'etat carried out by Bantu Holomisa which founded an authoritative military regime.

The army was made up of 3  500 with 4  000 soldiers in 1993.

List presidents of Transkei

List chiefs of the government of Transkei

Elections

With the legislative elections of the September 29th 1976, the TNIP gained 68 eligible seats and the Democratic party Sept.

With the legislative elections of the September 24th 1981, the TNIP gained the totality of the 75 eligible seats.

Population

Transkei had been conceived for the people Xhosa which also had the Ciskei.

In 1978, the Xhosa population rose with 3  930  087 people in South Africa of which 1  650  825 in Transkei (42%), 555  357 in the other Bantustans of which Ciskei (14,14%) and 1  723  905 in the white areas (43,86%).

In 1992, the population of Transkei was of 4  746  796 inhabitants.

The most spoken languages were the Xhosa and the Afrikaans.

Flag

The flag was adopted the May 20th 1966.

Ocher refers to the color of the ground used for the construction of the huts, the white symbolizes with peace and the green refers to the meadows.

The flag was abandoned the April 27th 1994 with the rehabilitation of Transkei in South Africa.

Philately

During its existence, Transkei emitted 318 stamps posts and twelve block-layers with for legend Transkei .

Personality

  • Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 with Mvezo in Transkei. It is there that it resides officially since its political retirement in 1999.

See too

Related articles

External bonds

  • Given on the policy of Transkei
  • Flag of Transkei
  • Armorial bearings of Transkei
  • Bantustans on worldstatesmen.org

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