Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd announces his plan to grant Transkei independence

On 23 January 1962, Dr Hendrik Verwoerd announced his plan to grant independence to the Transkei, a homeland proposed for Xhosa people under the apartheid policy of separate development. The Transkei was to have its own Parliament and Cabinet, separate citizenship and control over agriculture, education, health, social services and roads. Strategic ministries such as defence, foreign affairs and justice would remain in the hands of the central government in Pretoria.

On 26 October 1976, the Transkei gained independence as a Republic and Paramount Chief Botha J. Sigcau was elected as the Transkei's first President while Kaizer Matanzima was elected as Prime Minister. The constitutional status of the Transkei was a source of constant friction between Pretoria and Umtata. For instance, one of the questions that seemed to trouble the Transkei's status as a sovereign state was its association with the rest of the international society while its foreign affairs ministry was arbitrarily situated in Pretoria. Furthermore, the Republic of Transkei was not recognised beyond South African borders. The General Assembly of the United Nations rejected the declaration of independence as invalid, and called upon all governments to deny any form of recognition to the Transkei and other Bantustans.

Geographically, the Transkei was an area of South Africa lying on the south east coast of the country between the two rivers of UmzimkhuIu in the north and Kei in the south, the Indian Ocean in the east and the Drakensberg mountain range in the west.