1987 Transkei coup d'état

The 1987 Transkei coup d'état was a bloodless military coup in Transkei, an unrecognised state and a nominally independent South African homeland for the Xhosa people, which took place on 30 December 1987. The coup was led by the then 32-year-old Major General Bantu Holomisa, the Chief of the Transkei Defence Force, against the government of Prime Minister Stella Sigcau (TNIP).^[1][2][3][4] Holomisa suspended the civilian constitution and refused South Africa's repeated demands for a return to civilian rule on the grounds that a civilian government would be a puppet controlled by Pretoria.^[5]

1987 Transkei coup d'état

Map of Transkei (red) within South Africa.
Date	30 December 1987; 36 years ago (1987-12-30)
Location	Umtata
Type	Military coup
Motive	Regime change
Target	TNIP–led government of Stella Sigcau
Organised by	Bantu Holomisa
Participants	Transkei Defence Force (faction)
Outcome	Coup succeeds The overthrow of government of Prime Minister Sigcau. The establishment of military rule under the Military Council headed by Major General Holomisa.

Topographic map of Transkei.

A counter-coup staged in 1990 failed,^[6] and Holomisa's military government stayed in power until the reunification of Transkei with South Africa in 1994, after the first post-apartheid general election.^[7]

The Military Rule Medal was instituted to commemorate the 1987 coup d'état. While the medal is known to have been instituted and awarded, no warrant has yet been traced.^[8][9]

See also

• 1990 Ciskei coup d'état
• 1990 Venda coup d'état
• 1994 Bophuthatswana crisis

References

1. Burns, John F. (31 December 1987). "Army Coup in South African Homeland". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
2. "Army Stages Coup in Black S. Africa Area: General Takes Over in Transkei Region, Charges Corruption". The Los Angeles Times. 30 December 1987. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
3. "Army Stages Coup, Ousts Woman Prime Minister In Transkei". AP NEWS. 30 December 1987. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
4. "Bantu Holomisa deposes Stella Sigcau as President of the Transkei". South African History Online. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
5. South Africa Homeland Militaries, May 1996 (Accessed 1 May 2015)
6. "Coup Attempted In Transkei Homeland". AP NEWS. 22 November 1990. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
7. All Bantustans (both nominally independent and self-governing) were dismantled and their territories reincorporated into South Africa with effect from 27 April 1994, in terms of section 1(2) and Schedule 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993, the so-called "Interim Constitution" which abolished apartheid in South Africa. The text of this Interim Constitution, which came into force on 27 April 1994, coinciding with the beginning of the first democratic elections, is available online at Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1993 as of 27 April 1994.
8. South African Medal Website - Transkei Defence Force (Accessed 30 April 2015)
9. Republic of South Africa Government Gazette Vol. 477, no. 27376, Pretoria, 11 March 2005, OCLC 72827981