Today in History: Transkei breaks diplomatic ties with the Republic of South Africa

On this day in 1978, due to a territorial dispute with Pretoria, the then Transkeian Prime Minister, Chief Kaiser Daliwonga Matanzima, announced that the Transkei was breaking off its diplomatic ties with the Republic of South Africa.

This act included a unilateral withdrawal from the non-aggression pact between the two governments, and all the South African Defence Force members seconded to the Transkei Army were ordered to leave. This created the unique situation of a country refusing to deal with the only internationally recognised nation it was recognised by. Matanzima soon backed down however, in the face of Transkei’s dependence on South African economic aid.

On 20 February 1986, faced with South African evidence of corruption, Matanzima was forced to retire as President. He was succeeded by his brother George. Kaiser Matanzima was still described as Transkei’s effective leader for a time, but soon he and George fell out, and Kaiser was temporarily detained in the Transkei jail in 1987. Upon his release, he was restricted to Qamata.

In 1987, the Transkei, which was a larger, wealthier and more populous entity that had long sought to annex the Ciskei, and had undertaken a series of military raids on the territory in its attempt to seize control, launched an attack on leader Lennox Sebe’s compound, with the apparent goal of taking him hostage in order to force a merger of the two Bantustans. The South African government intervened to warn the Transkeian government off.

The Transkeian government was a participant in the Codesa negotiations for a new South Africa between 1990 and 1993. The territory was reincorporated into South Africa on 27 April 1994, and became part of the Eastern Cape province once again.

Information courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transkei.