Transkei

Originally the Transkei included the territories of Idutywa Reserve, Fingoland (Mfenguland) and Galekaland (Gcalekaland). Following their annexation they were restructured into the divisions of Butterworth, Tsomo and Nqamakwe for Fingoland; Kentani and Willowvale for Galekaland; and Idutywa for the Idutywa Reserve.

The alienation of Xhosa ancestral lands began during the 1770s when the Dutch annexed the border areas between the Gamtoos and Bushman's Rivers and began a gradual process of agrarian settlement that misrepresented indigenous concepts of land ownership. These incursions began to take on a more military aspect after the British annexation of the Cape Colony in 1806.

After the annexation the eastern frontier of the Cape became the arena for a series of increasingly bitter land wars. In 1811 and 1812 the British expelled the Xhosa people from the Zuurveld and annexed it to the Cape as the District of Albany. Following further clashes in 1818 and 1819 a highly contentious meeting was held on 14 October 1819 between the Cape Governor, Lord Charles Somerset, and Ngqika, paramount Chief of the amaRharhab. They concluded a verbal treaty which left the Xhosa no alternative but to yield the fertile region between the Great Fish and the Keiskamma Rivers. Initially this was known as the Neutral Territory, but in time it began to be referred to as the Ceded Territory and was settled by European farmers and their Khoikhoi allies.

In 1829 the area was annexed to the Cape and in 1833 amendments were made to its border, sparking off the frontier war of 1834 and 1835. On 21 December 1834 the Xhosa attacked the eastern regions of the Cape, and swept, virtually unchecked across the districts of Victoria and Albany, reaching the Sunday's River, near Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth. The Xhosa were, however, not interested in the re-occupation of their former territories so much as in the return of captured cattle to their lands over the Keiskamma River. Consequently, in January 1835, they began to fall back with he British on their heels.

On 31 March 1835 the British invaded Xhosa territory east of the Keiskamma River and on 10 May Governor D'Urban extended the colonial boundaries to the Great Kei River. On 16 June this area was proclaimed the Province of Queen Adelaide. The two parties concluded peace treaties on 17 September 1835 whereby the amaNgqika, amaNdlambe and amaGqunukhwebe were allotted specific territories within the province. They still gave over the greater part of their lands to the Cape Colony for European occupation. This included a strip of Gcaleka land east of the Great Kei River around Kei Drift and Butterworth.

The Colonial Office in London did not support these developments, and on 5 December 1836 the proclamation of the Province, as well as all treaties arising from it, were declared null and void, and the eastern frontier was returned to the Keiskamma River. Following the frontier war from 1846 to 1848, better known as the War of the Axe, the Ceded Territory was proclaimed the Division of Victoria on 23 December 1847, and on the same day the proclamation of British Kaffraria pushed the Cape-Xhosa boundary line to the Great Kei River, thereby returning it to its position in 1836.

This was extended in 1848 by the annexation of additional territory between the White Kei and Black Kei Rivers, later to become the Division of Queenstown. In December 1850 the amaNgqika rose in revolt. They were defeated in 1853 and a complex re-allocation of lands with "friendly" groups being allocated land in British Kaffraria while rebel clans were banished east of the Kei River, was initiated.

European settlement of this region was stepped up in 1857 with the arrival of German and British groups. In 1857 the so-called "cattle killing" led to the starvation, and ultimate death of some 70 000 Xhosa people. In a brief period of 6 months their numbers were reduced from 105 000 to 37 200 persons. This effectively brought their armed resistance to European colonialism in the eastern Cape to an end. Barring a brief revolt in 1877 and 1878, when the amaGcaleka turned upon their amaMfengu neighbours, the British annexation of lands east of the Kei River was able to proceed unimpeded.

In 1866 British Kaffraria was annexed to the Cape Colony. In September 1879 this was followed by Idutywa Reserve and Mfenguland, and Gcalekaland in 1885. It is assumed that the restructuring of these territories into the divisions of Butterworth, Idutywa, Kentani, Nqamakwe, Tsomo and Willowvale dates from these times.

While the official annexation of territory was proceeding, the European population of lands north of the Great Kei River was growing rapidly. By the mid-1880's they numbered nearly 10 000 and in 1882 White farmers were beginning to settle illegally in Emigrant Thembuland, Thembuland Proper and parts of the Gatberg district of Griqualand East, later known as the Division of Maclear, which had become depopulated as the result of the frontier wars. European settlement was further assisted by the Thembu chief Ngangelizwe who opened up Maxongo's Hoek, in the Division of Slang River, to White farmers. In 1882 he also sold land in the district of Umtata for White use.

Other European settlers were purchasing land in the districts of the Indwe River, Kokstad and Matatiele, while tracts of land in Galekaland were surveyed for White ownership. The following census figures are available for the territory:

The Transkei later became a homeland. Its southern border was the Great Kei River, with the Indian Ocean to the east, KwaZulu Natal to the north and Lesotho to the northwest. The capital and main city was Umtata.

The Drakensberg mountain range runs through the area and a large part of the former homeland is mountainous and not suitable for agriculture. Most of the residents of the area still speak Xhosa. All of the homeland's trade had to be conducted with South Africa so most of its income came from the country.

In 1963 it was separated from what had become the Cape Province. It was the first of 10 Black areas within South Africa to become “self-governing”. On 26 October 1976 Transkei became the first independent homeland. The South African government then revoked the citizenship of its residents.

From 1978 to 1980 territorial disputes resulted in Transkei cutting diplomatic relations with South Africa on 7 February 1980. Like the other homelands it was not recognised internationally as an independent state.

In 1994, with the establishment of a new South African government, and the end of apartheid, Transkei and the other nine homelands were reabsorbed into South Africa.

		Transkei


Originally the Transkei included the territories of Idutywa Reserve, Fingoland (Mfenguland) and Galekaland (Gcalekaland). Following their annexation they were restructured into the divisions of Butterworth, Tsomo and Nqamakwe for Fingoland; Kentani and Willowvale for Galekaland; and Idutywa for the Idutywa Reserve. The alienation of Xhosa ancestral lands began during the 1770s when the Dutch annexed the border areas between the Gamtoos and Bushman's Rivers and began a gradual process of agrarian settlement that misrepresented indigenous concepts of land ownership. These incursions began to take on a more military aspect after the British annexation of the Cape Colony in 1806. After the annexation the eastern frontier of the Cape became the arena for a series of increasingly bitter land wars. In 1811 and 1812 the British expelled the Xhosa people from the Zuurveld and annexed it to the Cape as the District of Albany. Following further clashes in 1818 and 1819 a highly contentious meeting was held on 14 October 1819 between the Cape Governor, Lord Charles Somerset, and Ngqika, paramount Chief of the amaRharhab. They concluded a verbal treaty which left the Xhosa no alternative but to yield the fertile region between the Great Fish and the Keiskamma Rivers. Initially this was known as the Neutral Territory, but in time it began to be referred to as the Ceded Territory and was settled by European farmers and their Khoikhoi allies. In 1829 the area was annexed to the Cape and in 1833 amendments were made to its border, sparking off the frontier war of 1834 and 1835. On 21 December 1834 the Xhosa attacked the eastern regions of the Cape, and swept, virtually unchecked across the districts of Victoria and Albany, reaching the Sunday's River, near Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth. The Xhosa were, however, not interested in the re-occupation of their former territories so much as in the return of captured cattle to their lands over the Keiskamma River. Consequently, in January 1835, they began to fall back with he British on their heels. On 31 March 1835 the British invaded Xhosa territory east of the Keiskamma River and on 10 May Governor D'Urban extended the colonial boundaries to the Great Kei River. On 16 June this area was proclaimed the Province of Queen Adelaide. The two parties concluded peace treaties on 17 September 1835 whereby the amaNgqika, amaNdlambe and amaGqunukhwebe were allotted specific territories within the province. They still gave over the greater part of their lands to the Cape Colony for European occupation. This included a strip of Gcaleka land east of the Great Kei River around Kei Drift and Butterworth. The Colonial Office in London did not support these developments, and on 5 December 1836 the proclamation of the Province, as well as all treaties arising from it, were declared null and void, and the eastern frontier was returned to the Keiskamma River. Following the frontier war from 1846 to 1848, better known as the War of the Axe, the Ceded Territory was proclaimed the Division of Victoria on 23 December 1847, and on the same day the proclamation of British Kaffraria pushed the Cape-Xhosa boundary line to the Great Kei River, thereby returning it to its position in 1836. This was extended in 1848 by the annexation of additional territory between the White Kei and Black Kei Rivers, later to become the Division of Queenstown. In December 1850 the amaNgqika rose in revolt. They were defeated in 1853 and a complex re-allocation of lands with "friendly" groups being allocated land in British Kaffraria while rebel clans were banished east of the Kei River, was initiated. European settlement of this region was stepped up in 1857 with the arrival of German and British groups. In 1857 the so-called "cattle killing" led to the starvation, and ultimate death of some 70 000 Xhosa people. In a brief period of 6 months their numbers were reduced from 105 000 to 37 200 persons. This effectively brought their armed resistance to European colonialism in the eastern Cape to an end. Barring a brief revolt in 1877 and 1878, when the amaGcaleka turned upon their amaMfengu neighbours, the British annexation of lands east of the Kei River was able to proceed unimpeded. In 1866 British Kaffraria was annexed to the Cape Colony. In September 1879 this was followed by Idutywa Reserve and Mfenguland, and Gcalekaland in 1885. It is assumed that the restructuring of these territories into the divisions of Butterworth, Idutywa, Kentani, Nqamakwe, Tsomo and Willowvale dates from these times. While the official annexation of territory was proceeding, the European population of lands north of the Great Kei River was growing rapidly. By the mid-1880's they numbered nearly 10 000 and in 1882 White farmers were beginning to settle illegally in Emigrant Thembuland, Thembuland Proper and parts of the Gatberg district of Griqualand East, later known as the Division of Maclear, which had become depopulated as the result of the frontier wars. European settlement was further assisted by the Thembu chief Ngangelizwe who opened up Maxongo's Hoek, in the Division of Slang River, to White farmers. In 1882 he also sold land in the district of Umtata for White use. Other European settlers were purchasing land in the districts of the Indwe River, Kokstad and Matatiele, while tracts of land in Galekaland were surveyed for White ownership. The following census figures are available for the territory: DIVISION pop 1891 lit'cy pop 1904 lit'cy TRANSKEI, territory of ......... 153 563 6 941 177 730 18 582 Division of Butterworth ...... 15 312 1 344 19 202 2 810 Division of Idutywa .......... 25 707 573 27 593 1 535 Division of Kentani .......... 29 026 483 34 238 1 983 Division of Nqamakwe ......... 30 442 2 550 34 234 5 906 Division of Tsomo ............ 16 663 968 20 034 3 207 Division of Willowvale ....... 36 413 1 023 42 429 3 071 The Transkei later became a homeland. Its southern border was the Great Kei River, with the Indian Ocean to the east, KwaZulu Natal to the north and Lesotho to the northwest. The capital and main city was Umtata. The Drakensberg mountain range runs through the area and a large part of the former homeland is mountainous and not suitable for agriculture. Most of the residents of the area still speak Xhosa. All of the homeland's trade had to be conducted with South Africa so most of its income came from the country. In 1963 it was separated from what had become the Cape Province. It was the first of 10 Black areas within South Africa to become “self-governing”. On 26 October 1976 Transkei became the first independent homeland. The South African government then revoked the citizenship of its residents. From 1978 to 1980 territorial disputes resulted in Transkei cutting diplomatic relations with South Africa on 7 February 1980. Like the other homelands it was not recognised internationally as an independent state. In 1994, with the establishment of a new South African government, and the end of apartheid, Transkei and the other nine homelands were reabsorbed into South Africa. Sources: www.sahistory.org.za/pages/chronology/ special-chrono/chronology_legislation.html http://www.bartleby.com/65/tr/Transkei.html www.sahistory.org.za/pages/ chronology/main-chronology-1980s.html Franco Frescura