Bushmanland (South West Africa)

Bushmanland

Boesmanland
Buschmannland

1976–1989

Flag

Location of Bushmanland (green) within South West Africa (grey).

Map of the bantustan.

Status

Bantustan

Capital

Tsumkwe (Tjumǃkui)

Common languages

Khoisan
English
Afrikaans
German

History

• Establishment

1976

• Re-integrated into Namibia

May 1989

Currency

South African rand

Preceded by

Succeeded by

South West Africa

Namibia

Bushmanland (Afrikaans: Boesmanland) was a bantustan in South West Africa (present-day Namibia), intended by the apartheid government to be a self-governing homeland for the San people (the Bushmen).

Administrative history

Bushmanland was established by the South African authorities with the issue of Proclamation 208 in 1976.^[1]

No government or second-tier authority was established for the San Bushmen as it was believed that "they had evinced no interest in having a governing authority".^[2] Instead a Bushman Advisory Council was established in 1986.^[3]

Bushmanland, like other homelands in South West Africa, was replaced by a system of non-geographic ethnic-based administrations in 1980, which were in turn abolished in May 1989 at the start of the transition to independence.

References

^ Welch, Cameron (2018). The San and the N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, Tsumkwe District West, Namibia: The San and the N‡a Jaqna Conservancy, Tsumkwe District West, Namibia. African Books Collective. p. 28. ISBN 978-3906927039.
^ A Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1980. South African Institute of Race Relations. 1981. p. 648.
^ "Namibian Homelands".

Apartheid Bantustans in South Africa and South West Africa

South Africa

Nominal independence	Bophuthatswana Ciskei Transkei Venda
Self-governance	Gazankulu KaNgwane KwaNdebele KwaZulu Lebowa QwaQwa

South West Africa

Self-governance	East Caprivi Kavangoland Ovamboland
No self-governance	Bushmanland Damaraland Hereroland Kaokoland Namaland Rehoboth Tswanaland
Post-1980	Coloureds Whites

Leaders and Administrators

Bophuthatswana

Head of State:	Lucas Mangope (1968–94) Rocky Malebane-Metsing (Feb 1988)
Administrator:	Tjaart van der Walt and Job Mokgoro (Mar–Apr 1994)

Bushmanland

No central government established

Ciskei

Head of State:	Lennox Sebe (1981–90) Oupa Gqozo (1990–94)
Administrator:	Pieter van Rensburg Goosen and Bongani Blessing Finca (Mar–Apr 1994)

Damaraland

Head of State:	Justus ǁGaroëb (1980–89)

Kaokoland

No central government established

Namaland

Head of State:	Cornelius Cloete (1980–85) Daniel Luipert (1985–89)

Rehoboth

Head of State:	Johannes "Hans" Diergaardt (1979–89)

Transkei

Head of State:	Botha Sigcau (1976–78) Zwelibanzi Maneli Mabandla (1978–79) Kaiser Matanzima (1979–86) Tutor Ndamase (1986–94)
Administrator:	Bantu Holomisa (1987–94) (Head of Military Council)

Tswanaland

Head of State:	Constance Kgosiemang (1980–89)

Venda

Head of State:	Patrick Mphephu (1978–88) Frank Ravele (1988–90) Gabriel Ramushwana (1990–94) Tshamano Ramabulana (Jan–Apr 1994)

East Caprivi

Chief Minister:	Josiah Moraliswane (Mar–Sept 1976) Richard Muhinda Mamili (1976–81)
Chairman:	Josiah Moraliswane (1981–84) H.J. Becker (Jul–Aug 1984) F.P.J. Visagie (1984–86) I.J. van der Merwe (Mar–Aug 1986) A. G. Visser (1986–89)

Gazankulu

Chief Minister:	Hudson William Edison Ntsanwisi (1973–93) Edward Mhinga (Mar–Apr 1993) Samuel Dickenson Nxumalo (1993–94)

Hereroland

Chairman:	Hosea Kutako (1968–70) Clemens Kapuuo (1970–78) Kuaima Riruako (1978–80) Thimoteus Tjamuaha (1980–84) Erastus Tjejamba (1987–88) Gottlob Mbaukua (1984–89)

KaNgwane

Chief Minister:	Enos John Mabuza (1970–81, 1984–91) Mangisi Cephas Zitha (1991–94)
Administrator:	N.J. Badenhorst (June–Dec 1982) Enos John Mabuza (1982–84)

Kavangoland

Chief Minister:	Linus Shashipapo (1973–77) Alfons Shashipapo (1977–81) Sebastian Kamwanga (1981–89)

KwaNdebele

Chief Minister:	Simon Skosana (1981–86) Klaas Mtshiweni (Nov 1986) George Majozi Mahlangu (1986–89) Jonas Masana Mabena (1989–90) James Mahlangu (1990–94)