Ciskei

The Ciskei Bantustan in the Eastern Cape was created as an enclave for the South Africa’s Xhosa-speaking people as part of apartheid racial segregation. Despite Government rhetoric that this 'independent state' would encourage cultural protection and separate development of these people, the Ciskei along with other Bantustans served to provide White South Africa with cheap, controlled labour pools.

The working population of Zwelitsha township, first declared the capital of Ciskei, were mostly employed in nearby ‘White’ towns such as Grahamstown. Later a new capital of Bisho in King Williams town was declared.

Ciskei history dates to the early 1920s, when the South African Union government restructured the Bunga system that was applied to administer the area under British colonial rule. The Bunga, which was an advisory council, comprising traditional authorities and the educated elite held little power. The Bunga local unit consisted of a headman or the traditional inkundla (local assemblies) system. Before colonial rule these were autonomous and their decisions were collective. Within the Bunga system, local assembly authority was subject to the Magistrate’s Court. The Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 withdrew their remaining power, bringing them under direct control of the government. Traditional authorities were thus bureaucratised. Chiefs and headmen were no longer accountable to their people, but to the government. The purpose of Bantu Authorities was to pave the way for the creation of Bantustans and racial segregation. This caused much anger.

The government of Ciskei was formed in 1961 after the South African government declared it a separate administrative territory. In 1972 the status was elevated to self-governing territory. This coincided with stronger efforts to forcibly remove Xhosa-speakers to Ciskei. On 4 December 1982, Ciskei became an independent republic, recognised only by the South African government and other ‘independent’ homeland states in South Africa.

Most South Africans rejected and fought against the idea of Ciskei. “Ciskeians” lost their South African citizenship. The Ciskei remained with its neighbour, Transkei, among the most neglected areas of South Africa. Jobs in the Ciskei were limited to government or government-sponsored projects, and South African-sponsored factories. Most of these factories were neither economically viable nor legal entities in terms of labour practice. They were mostly Taiwanese owned emerged out efforts to attract foreign investors with promises of cheap labour and repression of unions. These factories became the target of popular anger in the final days of the Apartheid regime. After the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa, bantustans were dissolved and the area known as Ciskei , restored to the Eastern Cape province.

Capital: Bisho

Government: republic (unrecognized)

Area: 7.700 km² / 8.100 km² (1994)

Population: 777.000 (1985) / 1.088.476 (1992)

Currency: Rand (100 cents)

Internet TLD: .za

Dialling code: +27

Links

Ciskei in Wikipedia.

Flag of Ciskei in Flags of the World.

Stamp catalogue

International Youth Year

date: 3 May 1985

designer: Sheila Nowers

printer: South African Government Printer, Pretoria

perforated: 14¼:14

remark: stamps also issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Girl Guides Movement

1 12 c two girl guides with doll, IYY and Girl Guides emblems

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 75/SG 73/Yvert 75)

2 25 c two girl guides planting trees, IYY emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 76/SG 74/Yvert 76)

3 30 c three girl guides with Girl Guides flag, IYY emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 77/SG 75/Yvert 77)

4 50 c two girl guides making a campfire, IYY emblem

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 78/SG 76/Yvert 78)

International Space Year

date: 4 June 1992

designer: J.J. van Ellinckhuijzen

printer: South African Government Printer, Pretoria

perforated: 14¼:14

size souv. sheet: 108 x 76 mm

remark: stamps depict satellites over Southern Africa; sales price of the souvenir sheet is not indicated

5 35 c communications satellite Intelsat VI (1989) over Earth, text "intelsat vi"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 215/SG 210/Yvert 215)

6 70 c navigation satellite GPS Navstar (Block 1 1978-1985) over Africa, text "g p s navstar"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 216/SG 211/Yvert 216)

7 90 c meteorological satellite Meteosat (First generation 1977) over Southern Africa, text "meteosat"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 217/SG 212/Yvert 217)

8 R 1,05 Earth resources satellite Landsat 6 (launched 1993, failed to reach orbit) over Earth, text "landsat vi"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 218/SG 213/Yvert 218)

9 (R 3,55) view of space with Earth and Moon, National Philatelic Exhibition emblem, text "NASIONALE

FILATELIESE UITSTALLING / NATIONAL PHILATELIC EXHIBITION"

70 c navigation satellite GPS Navstar (Block 1 1978-1985) over Africa, text "g p s navstar"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 7/SG -/Yvert BF 7)

Up - Home

last revised: 22 September 2008