Ciskei

Former independent black homeland in NE Cape province, South Africa; bounded SW by the Indian Ocean; fourth homeland to gain independence from South Africa (not recognized internationally), 1981; military takeover in bloodless coup, 1990; incorporated into Eastern Cape province in the South African Constitution of 1994.

Ciskei was a Bantustan in the south east of South Africa.

Ciskei had a succession of capitals during its brief existence. However, it was Bisho that became the capital until Ciskei's reintegration into South Africa.

Under South Africa's policy of apartheid, land was set aside for black peoples in self-governing territories.

In 1961 it became a separate administrative region and in 1972 was declared self-governing under the rule of Lennox Sebe. In 1981 it became the fourth homeland to be declared independent by the South African government and its residents lost their South African citizenship. During 1991-92, many of the legal foundations of apartheid in South Africa were removed, undermining the rationale for the homelands' continued existence. The African National Congress pressed strongly for them to be reincorporated into South Africa.

On 7 September 1992 the Ciskei police fired into a crowd of ANC members demanding the removal of Gqozo.

Gqozo refused to participate in the multiracial negotiations to agree a post-apartheid constitution for South Africa and initially threatened to boycott the first multiracial elections. This became unsustainable and in March 1994, Ciskei government workers went on strike for fear of losing their job security and pensions in the post-apartheid era. South African government took control of the homeland to ensure security until the elections could be held the following month.

Ciskei and all of the other homelands were reincorporated into South Africa on 27 April 1994, after the first post-apartheid elections. (1999) Gender and the Making of a South African Bantustan: A Social History of the Ciskei, 1945-1959, Heinemann. (1993) Power and Resistance in an African Society: The Ciskei Xhosa and the Making of South Africa, University of Wisconsin Press.