46-525: Transkei ( / t r æ n ˈ s k eɪ , t r ɑː n -, - ˈ s k aɪ / tran- SKAY , TRAHN -, - SKY , meaning the area beyond [the river] Kei ), officially the Republic of Transkei ( Xhosa : iRiphabliki yeTranskei ), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei , a Bantustan for the Xhosa people , and operated as
92-619: 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 liberation struggle chosen by the African National Congress would not be successful. The United Nations Security Council supported moves not to recognise Transkei, and in Resolution 402 (1976) condemned moves by South Africa to pressure Lesotho to recognise Transkei by closing its borders with
138-461: A larger, wealthier and more populous entity, had long sought the annexation of Ciskei, and had undertaken a series of military raids on Ciskei. This included an attack on leader Lennox Sebe's compound, with the apparent goal of taking him hostage, in order to force a merger of the two Bantustans. The South African government intervened to warn the Transkei government off. General Bantu Holomisa of
184-591: A nominally independent parliamentary democracy . Its capital was Umtata (renamed Mthatha in 2004). Transkei represented a significant precedent and historic turning point in South Africa's policy of apartheid and "separate development"; it was the first of four territories to be declared independent of South Africa. Throughout its existence, it remained an internationally unrecognised, diplomatically isolated, politically unstable de facto one-party state , which at one point broke relations with South Africa,
230-415: A person's place of birth; in addition, any individual born within the republic's territory was eligible for citizenship, excluding those whose father held diplomatic immunity or was deemed an illegal immigrant and whose mother was a non-citizen. Dual citizenship at birth was not permitted, and renunciation of one's citizenship was legally possible, but rendered the individual stateless in most cases. In effect,
276-472: A relatively safe area for the ANC's activities. In 1990, Holomisa himself evaded a failed attempt to be ousted from his post, and when asked about the fate of his opponents, he claimed that they had died in the ensuing battles with TDF soldiers. It was later found that those deemed responsible for the foiled coup had only suffered minor injuries, but were subsequently executed without trial. The Transkei government
322-477: A timber bridge downstream of the Great Kei. The timber bridge was destroyed after a flood and the railway line was relocated over to a new adjacent road bridge. The bridge was again dismantled in 1946 and re-erected again in 1947. It took two and a half years to complete the building of the bridge. At the end of the conflicts, the bridge was completed and is still in use by locals and farmers. The Great Kei Bridge
368-777: Is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa . It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River , northeast of Cathcart . It flows for 320 km (199 mi) and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean with the small town Kei Mouth on the west bank. Historically the Great Kei River formed the southwestern border of the Transkei region as
414-498: Is currently operational and motorists are frequently ferried from the southwestern bank to the northeastern bank into the Wild Coast . The estuaries from the Great Kei river to southern Mozambique are classified as subtropical. These systems are characterized by warm waters of more than 16 degrees Celsius. The climate is warm and humid almost year-round as a result. Minimum winter temperatures range from 12 - 14 degrees Celsius and
460-683: Is next to the Kei Bridge and is located in Amathole District Municipality . The Great Kei Bridge has a length of about 0.46 kilometres. The N2 road passes through Komga and Butterworth in an area is known as the Great Kei Pass or Kei Cuttings. It is a known for its high prevalence of accidents due to mist and wandering cattle. This section of the N2 passes across the Great Kei River. The Kei Cuttings lie inland from
506-579: Is popular with anglers due its variety of estuarine fish species. However, some species such as the South African Cob and White steenbras are critically endangered. Many coastal bird species are found in the area such as the near-threatened African oystercatcher , sandpipers, and kingfishers. Attempts to build a bridge over the Kei river started in 1877 when building materials were shipped into East London from Britain by ox wagon and rail. Work on
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#1732772850957552-420: Is sometimes used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike a one-party state, allows (at least nominally) multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning power. Membership in the ruling party tends to be relatively small compared to the population. With such a small winning coalition, leaders in one-party states usually lack
598-808: The Transkei Police had 4,993 police officers, operating from 61 police stations throughout the territory. With the dissolution of Transkei in 1994, the TDF and the Transkei Police were incorporated into the South African National Defence Force and the South African Police Service , respectively. 31°00′S 29°00′E / 31.000°S 29.000°E / -31.000; 29.000 Great Kei River The Great Kei River
644-482: The Kei Mouth , Morgans Bay and Chintsa West. One-party state A one-party state , single-party state , one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or enjoy limited and controlled participation in elections . The term " de facto one-party state"
690-736: The Lesotho border). South Africa put East Griqualand under the jurisdiction of the Cape Province instead of Transkei, thus making it an exclave of the Cape Province . The majority of the population was Xhosa -speaking, and according to the Constitution of the Republic of Transkei, Xhosa was the sole official language, but laws had to be translated into Sotho and English in order for them to come into effect, and Afrikaans
736-720: The Transkei Defence Force forced the resignation and exile of Prime Minister George Matanzima in October 1987 and then overthrew Matanzima's successor, Prime Minister Stella Sigcau in a bloodless coup d'état in December 1987. Holomisa became the Head of State, and the Transkei was from that point onwards effectively in (often uneasy) alliance with the African National Congress and provided
782-432: The uMzimkhulu area to the east, each reflecting colonially designated tribal areas where Xhosa speaking peoples predominated. A large portion of the area was mountainous and not suitable for agriculture. The territorial dispute with South Africa that led to the break in relations was a patch of territory called East Griqualand (which was situated between the main and eastern segments of Transkei with its northern limit at
828-563: The Indian Ocean. It terminates at the Great Kei estuary by Kei Mouth , a coastal resort town. Its longest tributary is the Tsomo in the north. The name has it origins as far back as 1752 and is based on a Khoisan word for the river meaning 'sand'. The Great Kei previously formed the southwestern border of the Transkei region which can be accessed via the 'Pont', one of only two car-transporting river ferries in South Africa. The pont
874-577: The Republic of Transkei was a parliamentary democracy which allowed for a multi-party system . During its existence, six parties registered to compete in elections at different points of its history. Until the military coup of 1987, the Transkei National Independence Party remained the ruling party, while the Transkei People's Freedom Party constituted the official opposition. Because its founder, Cromwell Diko,
920-610: The area receives rainfall throughout the year. The inland sections of the Great Kei River flow through Albany thickets and Forest biomes, terminating in Indian coastal thicket at its mouth. The Kei river mouth hosts the southernmost naturally occurring mangrove forests in Southern Africa . Swamp forests occur north of the Mngazana estuary, and salt marshes are found south of the Great Kei estuary. The Great Kei river mouth
966-520: The bridge was interrupted multiple times due to conflicts in the area including the 9th Frontier War where Newey and his team were forced to retreat to the Royal Hotel in Komga as Gcaleka warriors began crossing the Kei for battle. A few British soldiers were killed by Xhosa warriors at Moordenaarskop (Murderers’ Hill), a hill close to the old bridge. From 1907 to 1917, a railway line was carried on
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#17327728509571012-411: The country. Throughout its existence, Transkei's economy remained dependent on that of its larger neighbour , with the local population being recruited as workers into South Africa's Rand mines. Because of a territorial dispute, Matanzima announced on 10 April 1978 that Transkei would break all diplomatic ties with South Africa, including a unilateral withdrawal from the non-aggression pact between
1058-434: The following countries are legally constituted as one-party states: A de facto one-party system is one that, while not officially linking a single political party to governmental power, utilizes some means of political manipulation to ensure only one party stays in power. Many different countries have been claimed to be de facto one-party states, with differing levels of agreement between scholars, although most agree that
1104-509: The head of the newly formed Democratic Progressive Party , Sabata Dalindyebo , king of the Thembu people and vocal opponent of apartheid, for violating the dignity and injuring the reputation of the president. Dalindyebo went into exile in Zambia , a move that marked the end of official opposition politics in Transkei, and in the 1981 election, the ruling Transkei National Independence Party
1150-406: The incentive to care about the well-being of citizens. Rather, they give out private goods to fellow elites to ensure continued support. One-party, compared to dominant-party dictatorships, structure themselves unlike democracies. They also turn into democracies at a lower rate than dominant-party dictatorships. While one-party states prohibit opposition parties, some allow for elections at
1196-583: The north and the Great Kei River in the south. The Indian Ocean and the Drakensberg mountain range, including parts of the landlocked kingdom of Lesotho , served as the eastern and western frontiers. A further two small sections occurred as landlocked isolates within South Africa. One of these was in the north-west, along the Orange River adjoining south-western Lesotho, and the other in
1242-442: The number at about 2.3 million, with approximately 400,000 citizens residing permanently outside the territory's borders. Fewer than 10,000 individuals were of European descent, and the urbanisation-rate for the entire population was around 5%. 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 transporters and two helicopters. By 1993,
1288-763: The number of troops had risen to 4,000. Initial training was provided by the South African Defence Force , and despite its diplomatic isolation, the government of Transkei received advice from and collaborated with Israeli counterinsurgency experts. Armscor/Krygkor was its main supplier of weaponry. After breaking all diplomatic ties with South Africa, President Matanzima announced construction-plans for an international airport by an unnamed French consortium in order for "arms and troops from other countries" to be brought into Transkei without touching South African soil, but did not elaborate on where those resources would originate. During its last days in 1994,
1334-416: The only country that acknowledged it as a legal entity. In 1994, it was reintegrated into its larger neighbour and became part of the Eastern Cape province. The South African government set up the area as one of the two homelands for Xhosa -speaking people in Cape Province , the other being Ciskei ; it was given nominal autonomy by Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd in 1963. Although the first election
1380-484: The president in joint session with the National Assembly and its laws and legislative decisions were immune to judicial review. Seventy-five of its members were elected by popular vote from the various districts Transkei's territory was divided into. The remaining members were unelected Paramount Chiefs and ex officio chiefs whose number per district was enshrined in the constitution. With the establishment of
1426-469: The regulations thus created an almost homogeneous population of Xhosa ethnicity, though exceptions existed. The flag of Transkei is a triband . The colours are (from the top down) ochre red , white , and green . The Transkei consisted of three disconnected sections with a total area covering 45,000 km (17,000 sq mi). The large main section was bordered by the Umtamvuna River in
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1472-465: The republic, the citizenry consisted of all those who had been holding the citizenship of the former territory of Transkei. Individuals were given no choice in this matter as the Transkeian constitution was a legally binding act; for the future, it provided citizenship regulations based on both jus sanguinis and jus soli . Citizenship by descent was given along the paternal line , regardless of
1518-476: The residents. This gives locals the opportunity to monitor local officials and communicate satisfaction with the local government. Throughout the country, members of the one party hold key political positions. In doing so, the party avoids committing outright fraud and rather sustains their power at the local level with strategic appointment of elites. Data on one-party regimes can be difficult to gather given their lack of transparency. As of 2024,
1564-403: The road ahead." My heritage commands me in the name of [Xhosa] nationhood to sacrifice the best of my abilities to the advancement of my own nation in its own country [...]. Kaiser Matanzima The General Assembly rejects the declaration of "independence" of the Transkei and declares it invalid. United Nations General Assembly A press release by the African National Congress at
1610-533: The smallest local level. One-party states lack any legitimate competition. Therefore, they place elites and sympathetic candidates in key administrative races. For example, the Chinese Communist Party exercises political control by infiltrating village administrations. They view these positions as crucial for gathering information on the population and maintaining a presence in the far reaches of their borders. One-party states recognize
1656-545: The so-called independent Transkei." An article published in Time Magazine opined that though Transkei declared independence theoretically as a "free Black state", Matanzima ruled as the dictator of a one-party state . He banned local opposition parties and bought farmlands for himself and his family offered by the South African government at subsidised prices. Matanzima published Independence my Way in 1976,
1702-555: The time rejected the Transkei's independence and condemned it as "designed to consolidate the inhuman policies of apartheid ". 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 labelling of South Africa as a "racist régime," and called upon "all [g]overnments to deny any form of recognition to
1748-410: The trade-off between election victory and gathering valuable data. To account for this, the regimes have been observed placing local nobility in easy-to-win races. One-party states have also been observed using elections to ensure that only the most popular elites get chosen to office. They also gather data from elections to indicate if a local official is performing poorly in the eyes of
1794-468: The two governments, and ordered that all South African Defence Force members seconded to the Transkei Defence Force 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. During his rule, Matanzima arrested state officials and journalists at will; in late 1979, he detained
1840-465: Was a former member of the ruling party, and due to its continued support of President Matanzima's policies, there is a widely held belief that it was actually initiated by Matanzima himself to give the impression of free elections when in fact there were none. Other parties that existed never gained any representation in parliament. According to the Constitution of Transkei, parliament consisted of
1886-508: 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. The Transkei Penal Code, 1983 still applies between the Kei River and the border with KwaZulu-Natal , and persons who are charged with crimes in that area are prosecuted under the code. Nominally,
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1932-584: Was contested and won by the Democratic Party , whose founder Chief Victor Poto was opposed to the notion of Bantustan independence, the government was formed by the Transkei National Independence Party . Of the 109 members in the regional parliament, 45 were elected and 64 were held by ex officio chiefs. The entity became a nominally independent state in 1976 with its capital at Umtata (now Mthatha ), although it
1978-692: Was formerly known as the Nciba River. The Great Kei River is a meandering river course and is formed by the convergence of the Black Kei River and the White Kei River in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality , north-east of Cathcart and southeast of Queenstown. The Great Kei river flows from the junction of the Black and White Kei rivers for approximately 225 kilometers (140 miles) southeastwards along winding courses to
2024-507: Was permissible in court proceedings and for other administrative purposes. In addition, many thousands of northern Transkei residents spoke a small hybrid Nguni – Sotho language, called Phuthi . 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. An estimate of 1982 puts
2070-445: Was re-elected, gaining 100% of all open seats. On 20 February 1986, faced with South African evidence of corruption, Matanzima was forced to retire as president. He was succeeded by his brother George . Kaiser Matanzima was still described as Transkei's effective leader for a time, but soon the two fell out and Kaiser was temporarily detained in the Transkei gaols in 1987; upon release, he was restricted to Qamata . In 1987, Transkei,
2116-583: Was recognised only by South Africa and later by the other nominally independent republics within the TBVC -system. Chief Kaiser Daliwonga Matanzima was Transkei's Prime Minister until 1979, when he assumed the office of President , a position he held until 1986. 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
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