Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences

Date: 30 May 1963
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

On 30 May 1963 the Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commenced. The history of this Act could be traced back to April 1961 when the Transkei Regional Authority appointed a committee to investigate the possibility of granting self-government to the Transkei. In December 1962 this committee, under chairmanship of Chief Kaiser Matanzima, was granted permission by the Republic of South Africa Prime Minister, Dr H.F. Verwoerd to draw up a Constitution for the Transkei. The Constitution gave partial self-government to the Transkei within the Republic of South Africa. The territorial authority was replaced by a partially elected legislative assembly, consisting of 64 traditional leaders and 45 elected members, with a cabinet under a chief minister. The Transkei was to have its own citizenship, flag and anthem.

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01 O’Malley, P. ‘1963’, from Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, [online], available at www.nelsonmandela.org.za (Accessed: 25 April 2013)
02South African History Online, ‘Transkei receives partial self’, [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 25 April 2013)
03Boddy-Evans, A. ‘This Day in African History: 30 May’, from About African History, [online], available at https://africanhistory.about.com (Accessed: 25 April 2013)
04Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E. (eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key political events from independence to mid-1997, Westport: Greenwood.)
05Muller, C.F.J. (ed)(1981). Five Hundred years: a history of South Africa; 3rd rev. ed., Pretoria: Academica, p. 522.

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2013, May 24). Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095723

South African History Online (2013) 'Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences', South African History Online, 24 May. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095723 (Accessed: 17 August 2026).

South African History Online, Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095723, (accessed 17 August 2026).

"Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences." South African History Online, 24 May 2013, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095723. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "Transkei Constitution Act No 48 commences." South African History Online. May 24, 2013. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0095723.