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Bophutatswana (South African homeland)

Last modified: 2005-09-10 by bruce berry
Keywords: south africa | homeland | bophutatswana | leopard's face | bop |
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[Bophutatswana] image by Mark Sensen See also:

Bophuthatswana - introduction

Within the "old" South Africa, 10 homelands were created, four of which were granted "independence" by South Africa (not recognised by any other country in the world).  Bophuthatswana was one of the four so-called "independent" homelands having been granted independence by South Africa on 06 December 1977. All the former South African Homelands/bantustans ceased to exist as political entities on 27 April 1994. They have all (including the former so called independent Homelands) been reincorporated into South Africa.
The flags of the former Homelands are no longer in use (either officially or unofficially).
Bruce Berry, 25 April 1996

Bophuthatswana was a relatively large territory, vastly dispersed across the central to western Transvaal and into the north-eastern Cape Province (today's northwestern-most Mpumalanga and North-West Province). Six main parts, three of which, smaller, in Transvaal (with the easternmost one briefly bordering KwaNdebele), and two other (one of which quite large) in the Cape Province; the sixth, very uncompact shaped unlike the others, stretching between the two provinces and extensively bordering Botswana.
Antonio Martins, 30 May 1999

There was a portion of Bophuthatswana in Orange Free State at Thaba Nchu - about 50 km east of Bloemfontein (today in the Free State province).
Bruce Berry, 31 May 1999

Bophuthatswana flag

The design of the flag of Bophuthatswana was originally set out in section 2 of the Boputhatswana Flag Act of 1972, which reads as follows:
"The Bophuthatswana flag shall be Azure with a bar sinister Tenne, in Dexter chief a roundel Argent charged with a leopard's face Sable pied Argent.
The width of the flag shall be equal to two-thirds of its length.
The width of the bar shall be one-twelfth of the length of the flag.