South Africa sends troops to Ciskei

Date: 5 Mar 1990
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

On 4 March 1990 Brigadier Oupa Gqozo of the Ciskei Defence Force (CDF), and a former member of the South African Defence Force (SADF), leads a coup in the homeland of Ciskei. His aim was to overthrow the rule of authoritarian leader Lennox L Sebe while he was on a state visit to Hong Kong so that " a society based on democratic principles can be established" in the homeland. On 5 March Gqozo requested that the South African government send troops to the violence-ridden homeland to help restore order. Click here for our Special Feature on homelands.

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?

How we know this

01AP News Archive South Africa Sends Troops Into Homeland After Rioting Follows Coup from AP News Archive [online] Available at: www.apnewsarchive.com [Accessed on 1 March 2013]
02LA Times South Africa Sends Troops to Restore Order in Ciskei : Black homelands: A coup leads to rioting and looting. The new leader asks for help, says Pretoria 'has left them behind.' from LA Times [online] Available at: https://articles.latimes.com [Accessed on 1 March 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). South Africa sends troops to Ciskei. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012866

South African History Online (2011) 'South Africa sends troops to Ciskei', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012866 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).

South African History Online, South Africa sends troops to Ciskei [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012866, (accessed 22 July 2026).

"South Africa sends troops to Ciskei." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012866. Accessed 22 July 2026.

South African History Online. "South Africa sends troops to Ciskei." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012866.