The 1990 Ciskei coup d'état was a bloodless military coup in Ciskei, an unrecognised state and a nominally independent South African homeland for the Xhosa people, which took place on 4 March 1990. The coup was led by the then 37-year-old Brigadier Oupa Gqozo, the Chief of Staff Intelligence of the Ciskei Defence Force, against the government of President for Life Lennox Sebe (CNIP), who was on a state visit to Hong Kong at the time. The coup was followed by widespread rioting and looting, prompting Gqozo to request that the South African government send SADF troops to help restore order.
Subsequently, Gqozo's military government survived several coup attempts, most notably the February 1991 attempt, led by the Chief of the Ciskei Defence Force, Brigadier Andrew Jamangile. Gqozo stayed in power until his resignation in March 1994, several weeks before the reunification of Ciskei with South Africa after the first post-apartheid general election.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.
See also Bisho massacre 1987 Transkei coup d'état 1990 Venda coup d'état 1994 Bophuthatswana crisis
References