Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana (/ˌboʊpuːtətˈswɑːnə/ BOH-poo-tət-SWAH-nə, lit. 'gathering of the Tswana people'), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana (Tswana: Repaboleki ya Bophuthatswana; Afrikaans: Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland", an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity) that was declared (nominally) independent by the apartheid regime of South Africa in 1977. However, its independence, like the other Bantustans of Ciskei, Transkei and Venda was not recognized by any country other than South Africa.
Republic of Bophuthatswana | |||||||||
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| 1977–1994 | |||||||||
Flag
Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Tshwaraganang Lo Dire Pula E Ne" (Tswana) "If we stand together and work hard we will be blessed with rain" | |||||||||
| Anthem: Lefatshe leno la bo-rrarona (Tswana) This Land of our Forefathers | |||||||||
Location of Bophuthatswana (red) within South Africa (yellow). | |||||||||
| Status | Bantustan (de facto; independence internationally unrecognised) | ||||||||
| Capital | Mmabatho | ||||||||
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| President | |||||||||
• 1977–1994 | Lucas Mangope | ||||||||
| Legislature | Parliament | ||||||||
• Parliament | President and National Assembly | ||||||||
• National Assembly |
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| History | |||||||||
• Self-government | 1 June 1972 | ||||||||
• Nominal Independence | 6 December 1977 | ||||||||
• Coup d'état | 1988 | ||||||||
• Coup attempt | 1990 | ||||||||
• Insurrection / coup d'état | 1994 | ||||||||
• Dissolution | 27 April 1994 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| 1980 | 44,109 km2 (17,031 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1980 | 1,323,315 | ||||||||
• 1991 | 1,478,950 | ||||||||
| Currency | South African rand | ||||||||
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| Historical states in present-day South Africa |
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| South Africa portal |
Bophuthatswana was the second Bantustan to be declared an independent state, after Transkei. Its territory constituted a scattered patchwork of enclaves spread across what was then Cape Province, Orange Free State and Transvaal. Its seat of government was Mmabatho, which is now a suburb of Mahikeng.
On 27 April 1994, it was reintegrated into South Africa with the coming into force of the country's interim constitution. Its territory was distributed between the new provinces of the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North West Province.