Bophuthatswana

Bophuthatswana ( officially: Repabolika ya Bophuthatswana, German as: " The land that binds the Tswana " ) was a Homeland in northern and central South Africa. It was declared independent in 1977 and 1994 reintegrated into South Africa. It consisted of seven isolated areas, of which six were enclaves in South Africa. They were scattered over the former South African provinces of Cape Province, Transvaal and Orange Free State, and included some 44,000 km ². The capital was Mmabatho.

Geography

In 1989, the number of inhabitants about 1,656,000. Thus, the population density was about 38 inhabitants / km ². De jure, the population was 3.2 million, since living in South Africa Batswana were included as well. All seven regions lie in the Highveld.

• The capital Mmabatho, now a suburb of Mahikeng, lay in an immediately adjacent to Botswana part of the country. In this area also the Mmabatho International Airport and the city of Mafikeng is located. The five border crossings by road and rail from this area to Botswana were operated by the authorities Bophuthatswanas.
• To the west there was a 20,000 km ², desert -like area without any major towns. It was close to Botswana, but had no common border with that country. The area is located near the village of Morokweng Morokweng crater. Just south of this area is the town of Kuruman.
• South of the two former areas was a small part of Bophuthatswana with the Taung site. South of this area is the town of Kimberley.
• West of Lesotho and east of Bloemfontein, on the territory of today's Free State Province, was another area with the central town of Thaba Nchu. There live many Basotho. This part was the furthest from Mmabatho away.
• To the east of the former territory was another large-scale part of Bophuthatswana. There are significant platinum mines and the pleasure resort Sun City. Largest city of the territory is Madikwe. The highest elevation is the Pilanesberg. Just south of this area is Rustenburg. A part of this area is part of the Royal Bafokeng Nation.
• East of the latter part was an area with the towns of Ga - Rankuwa and Mabopane. These two cities are now part of the Tshwane metropolitan area in the province of Gauteng.
• Further east was a small area that bordered on the former Homeland KwaNdebele. It was assigned only after 1977 Bophuthatswana.

History

Bophuthatswana was founded in 1961 as the only homeland for the Setswana - speaking South African population. In 1971, the territory of the South African government, the self-government. On December 6, 1977 Bophuthatswana was released as the second South African home country to independence. This status was not recognized internationally. All residents Bophuthatswanas had to give up the South African nationality. In 1980, the city Mafikeng was after a plebiscite part Bophuthatswanas.

Lucas Mangope was used as the first president of the country. As chairman of the Bophuthatswana Democratic Party ( BDP) he won in 1982 in the elections to the National Assembly for election every 72 standing seats. 36 additional seats were filled by appointed parliamentarians, including 24 representatives of the regions and 12 "specialists". After a coup in 1988 Mangope was used with the help of South African troops after one day. 1990 failed another coup. In early 1994 he was replaced by a transitional government, as he had locked against Bophuthatswanas reintegration in the Republic of South Africa. Members of the Afrikaner Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB ), who saw a chance to prevent along with Mangope the South African general elections, penetrated to Mmabatho and shot several passers-by. The case turned television images contributed to the fact that many white South Africans gave up their opposition to the pending takeover of the black majority. On 27 April 1994 Bophuthatswana was pooled together with the nine other homelands again with South Africa. Four of the seven parts of the country were incorporated into the North West Province, the area around Ga - Rankuwa in the North-West Province - later came Ga - Rankuwa and Mabopane to Gauteng -, territory Thaba Nchu in the Free State and the easternmost area in the province of Mpumalanga.

Demography

Bophuthatswana was established as a homeland for all Tswana speaking ethnic groups. In Bophuthatswana in 1982 also lived 91,000 Shangaan and Sotho 60,000 and 2,400 whites.

Economy

The world's biggest platinum deposits, and also the recovery of diamonds, chromium and vanadium and the revenue from the casino of Sun City - South Africa even gambling was banned - made ​​the most prosperous Bophuthatswana homeland. So it was not like the other homelands, in financial dependence on South Africa. Agriculture was hardly operate because the land area in question applies to 90% as infertile.