Editing Bophuthatswana (section)

==History==

{{Main|History of South Africa|Apartheid}}

===Establishment===

The area comprising former native reserves was set up as the only ''[[Bantustan|homeland]]'' for [[Tswana language|Tswana]]-speaking people in 1961 and administered by the Tswana Territorial Authority. It was given nominal self-rule in 1971, and [[Bophuthatswanan parliamentary election, 1972|elections]] were held the following year.

Following the [[Bophuthatswanan parliamentary election, 1977|1977 elections]], Chief [[Lucas Mangope]] became the first president after his Bophuthatswana Democratic Party won a majority of seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://africanelections.tripod.com/za_homelands.html |title=Elections in South Africa |publisher=Africanelections.tripod.com |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607022954/http://africanelections.tripod.com/za_homelands.html |archive-date=7 June 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=sa_hist>[http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/places/villages/northWest/bophuthatswana.htm Bophuthatswana] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090623022715/http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/places/villages/northWest/bophuthatswana.htm |date=23 June 2009 }} South African history online</ref>

===Independence and international reaction===

The territory became nominally independent on 6 December 1977. Bophuthatswana's independence was not recognized by any government other than those of South Africa and [[Transkei]], the first homeland to gain nominal independence. In addition, it was later internally recognized by the two additional countries within the [[Bantustan|TBVC]]-system, [[Ciskei]] and [[Venda]].

{{Quote box
  | quote  = <small>[A]t last we are no longer helplessly at the mercy of the arbitrary arrogance of those who until this hour trampled our human dignity into the dust.</small>
  | source = <small>- [[Lucas Mangope]]<ref name=time>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945848,00.html |title=The Birth of BophuthaTswana |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=19 December 1977 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215121824/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945848,00.html |archive-date=15 December 2008}}</ref></small>
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{{Quote box
  | quote  = <small>The General Assembly denounces the declaration of the so-called "independence"&nbsp;... of Bophuthatswana&nbsp;... and declares [it] totally invalid.</small>
  | source = <small>- [[United Nations General Assembly]]<ref name=un>[https://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/32/ares32.htm Resolution A/RES/32/105 N, General Assembly of the United Nations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628063850/http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/32/ares32.htm |date=28 June 2017 }}, 102nd plenary meeting, 14 December 1977</ref></small>
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Arguing in favour of independence, President Mangope claimed that the move would enable its population to negotiate with South Africa from a stronger position: "We would rather face the difficulties of administering a fragmented territory, the wrath of the outside world, and accusations of ill-informed people. It's the price we are prepared to pay for being masters of our own destiny."<ref name=time />

[[United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Kurt Waldheim]] stated that he "strongly deplored" the establishment of "another so-called independent tribal homeland in pursuance of the discredited policies of apartheid",<ref name=time /> and in resolution A/RES/32/105N, passed on 14 December 1977, the [[United Nations General Assembly]] linked Bophuthatswana's "so-called 'independence{{'"}} to South Africa's "stubborn pursuit" of its policies, and called upon all governments to "deny any form of recognition to the so-called 'independent' bantustans".<ref name=un />

During a parliamentary debate in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] on 6 December 1977, Foreign Secretary [[David Owen]] replied in the negative when asked "whether Her Majesty's Government intend to recognise [[passport|travel documents]] issued by the authorities of&nbsp;... Bophuthatswana for the purpose of admitting visitors to the United Kingdom".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1977/dec/06/transkei-and-bophuthatswana-travel |title=Hasgard HC Deb vol 940 c621W |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |date=6 December 1977 |access-date=18 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713002959/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1977/dec/06/transkei-and-bophuthatswana-travel |archive-date=13 July 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

While the majority of news reports echoed these official declarations, there were others which opined that Western critics should "suspend judgment for a time",<ref>Kilpatrick, James. "Give new nations a chance". ''Prescott Courier'', 5 January 1978</ref> and despite its generally critical stance on South Africa's policies, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine wrote that Bophuthatswana had "considerable economic potential" with an expected $30 million a year coming from mining revenues.<ref name=time />

Despite its official isolation, however, the government in Mmabatho managed to set up a trade mission in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]],<ref>Peters, Joel. ''Israel and Africa''. The British Academic Press. London:1992. p161</ref> and conducted some business with neighbouring [[Botswana]] in an effort to sway attitudes; furthermore, Botswana agreed on "informal arrangements" short of official recognition in order to facilitate cross-border travel.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Dale|first=Richard|title=Botswana's search for autonomy in southern Africa|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=1995|isbn=9780313295713|location=Westport, Conn.|pages=6, 15}}</ref>

Bophuthatswana maintained an unofficial embassy in Israel during the 1980s, located next to the British embassy in Tel Aviv. The [[Israeli Foreign Ministry]] objected to the embassy's presence, as Israel did not recognize Bophuthatswana as a country. The Bantustan's president, Lucas Mangope, was nevertheless able to meet with prominent figures such as [[Moshe Dayan]] during visits to Israel.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=5CVeyhyEJ_4C&q=Mangope&pg=PA157 ''The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208014928/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=5CVeyhyEJ_4C&lpg=PA157&vq=Mangope&pg=PA157#v=snippet&q=Mangope&f=false |date=8 February 2016 }}, Sasha Polakow-Suransky, Pantheon Books, New York, 2010, page 157.</ref>

In the [[Bophuthatswanan parliamentary election, 1982|1982 elections]], the [[Bophuthatswana Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] won all 72 elected seats. It also won a large majority in the [[Bophuthatswanan parliamentary election, 1987|1987 elections]].

===Series of coups d'état===

On 10 February 1988, [[Rocky Malebane-Metsing]] of the People's Progressive Party (PPP) became the [[president of Bophuthatswana]] for one day when he took over the government through a military coup. He accused Mangope of corruption and charged that the recent election had been rigged in the government's favour. A statement by the defence force said "serious and disturbing matters of great concern" had emerged, citing Mangope's close association with a multimillionaire Israeli Soviet [[émigré]] [[Shabtai Kalmanovich]].<ref name=nyt88>[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/11/world/south-africa-quells-coup-attempt-in-a-homeland.html South Africa Quells Coup Attempt in a Homeland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426071030/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/11/world/south-africa-quells-coup-attempt-in-a-homeland.html |date=26 April 2016 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', 11 February 1988</ref>

Subsequently, the [[South African Defence Force]] invaded Bophuthatswana and Mangope was reinstated and continued his term unabated.<ref name=sa_hist /> [[P. W. Botha]], [[State President of South Africa]] at the time, justified the reinstatement by saying that "[t]he South African Government is opposed in principle to the obtaining or maintaining of power by violence."<ref name=nyt88 />

In 1990, a second coup attempt took place in which an estimated 50,000 protesters demanded the President's resignation over his handling of the economy. ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that seven people had been killed and 450 wounded "after police officers in armoured cars fired their rifles into the crowds and used tear gas and rubber bullets".

After Mangope had asked for help from the South African government, he declared a state of emergency and cut telephone links to the territory "for political reasons", claiming that "normal laws had become inadequate".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/08/world/turmoil-spreads-to-2d-homeland.html Turmoil Spreads to 2d 'Homeland'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129031207/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/08/world/turmoil-spreads-to-2d-homeland.html |date=29 November 2017 }}, ''The New York Times'', 8 March 1990</ref> [[Human Rights Watch]] put the number of protesters at 150,000.<ref>[http://www.refworld.org/docid/467fca2c2.html Human Rights Watch World Report 1990 – South Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726135320/http://www.refworld.org/docid/467fca2c2.html |date=26 July 2018 }}, published 1 January 1991</ref>

===Crisis of 1994===

{{main|1994 Bophuthatswana crisis}}

In the beginning of 1994 with South Africa heading for democratic elections, President [[Lucas Mangope]] resisted the elections taking place in Bophuthatswana and opposed reincorporation of the territory into South Africa. This resulted in increasing unrest and 40 people were wounded when Bophuthatswana Defence Force troops opened fire on striking [[civil servant]]s. Mangope took an increasingly hardline stance, rejected [[Independent Electoral Commission (South Africa)|Independent Electoral Commission]] chairman Judge [[Johann Kriegler]]'s plea for [[Freedom (political)|free political activity]] in the territory,<ref>"40 wounded as Mangope's men open fire". ''Business Day''. 10 March 1994.</ref> and fired the staff of the [[Bop TV|Bophuthatswana Broadcasting Corporation]], closing down two television stations and three radio stations.

With unrest growing and rumors of ANC supporters massing at Bophuthatswana's borders, Mangope invited General [[Constand Viljoen]], head of the right-wing [[Afrikaner Volksfront]], to immediately assist in keeping the peace. The Afrikaners were hastily rallied and mobilised, including the white supremacist group [[Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging]] (AWB), which took the opportunity to move in and try to restore the apartheid status quo. Uniformed members of the AWB on an armed incursion to the Mmabatho/Mafikeng area shot at unarmed civilians blocking the road, injuring and killing many.<ref>
{{cite web |
url=http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/decisions/1999/ac990239.htm |
title=Amnesty Application – Ontlametse Bernstein Menyatsoe |
publisher=Truth and Reconciliation Commission |
access-date=15 August 2006 |
archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214201237/http://www.doj.gov.za/trc/decisions/1999/ac990239.htm |
archive-date=14 February 2007 |
url-status=live }}
</ref>

They themselves were shot at by members of the [[Bophuthatswana Defence Force]] (BDF) and the Police and were forced to retreat. One member of the AWB travelling back in a blue Mercedes Benz shot at some people along the road, which was then followed by members of the [[Bophuthatswana Police]] opening fire at the car. The driver, [[Nicolaas Fourie]], and his two passengers promptly surrendered and were disarmed. After the media were allowed to photograph the badly injured prisoners, they were then executed at point-blank range by a Bophuthatswana policeman, [[Ontlametse Bernstein Menyatsoe|Ontlametse Bernstein Menyatswe]].<ref>{{cite web|
url=http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/1999/990806933a1001.htm|
title=Amnesty granted for killing of three AWB members in 1994|
publisher=Truth and Reconciliation Commission|
date=5 August 1999|
url-status=dead|
archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310201257/http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/1999/990806933a1001.htm|
archive-date=10 March 2007}}</ref> These killings effectively spelt the end of white right-wing military opposition to democratic reforms.

On 12 March 1994, Mangope was deposed as [[President of Bophuthatswana]] by the South African government and the [[Transitional Executive Council]]. [[South African Ambassador to Bophuthatswana]], Prof. [[Tjaart van der Walt (academic)|Tjaart van der Walt]], was then appointed as the territory's new administrator.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/chief-lucas-mangope-deposed-leader-bophuthatswana-dr-tjaart-van-der-walt-appointed-terri|title=Chief Lucas Mangope is deposed as leader of Bophuthatswana. Dr. Tjaart van der Walt is appointed as the territory's new adminis|date=12 March 2012|work=South African History Online|access-date=18 July 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718055156/https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/chief-lucas-mangope-deposed-leader-bophuthatswana-dr-tjaart-van-der-walt-appointed-terri|archive-date=18 July 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/tec-decides-bophuthatswana%E2%80%99s-incorporation-following-major-unrest|title=The TEC decides on Bophuthatswana's incorporation following major unrest|date=9 March 2012|work=South African History Online|access-date=18 July 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718060828/http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/tec-decides-bophuthatswana%E2%80%99s-incorporation-following-major-unrest|archive-date=18 July 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Dissolution===

{{Main|Negotiations to end apartheid in South Africa}}

With the end of apartheid after the first multi-racial elections and the coming into force of the Interim Constitution of South Africa on 27 April 1994, Bophuthatswana ceased to exist and once again became part of South Africa.

The majority of the country became part of the [[North West (South African province)|North West]] province, while the [[Thaba 'Nchu]] district became part of the [[Free State (province)|Free State]], and the [[Mathanjana]] exclave north-east of Pretoria became part of [[Mpumalanga]]. The capital, Mmabatho, was merged with Mafikeng and the combined city is now the capital of the North-West province.
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