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South Africa sends troops to Ciskei

Published date

Last updated

5 March 1990
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.
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