Venda

This article is about the former Bantustan in South Africa. For other uses of the term Venda, see Venda (disambiguation).

Republic of Venda
Riphabuliki ya Venda Republiek van Venda
Bantustan (nominal parliamentary democracy)
1979–1994
Flag Coat of arms
Motto "Shumela Venda"  (Venda) "Always Aspire for Venda"
Anthem Pfano na vhuthihi  (Venda)a Peace and Togetherness
Location of Venda in Southern Africa.
Capital		Thohoyandou
Languages		Venda English Afrikaans
Political structure		Bantustan
President
•	1979–1988	Patrick Mphephu
•	1988–1990	Frank Ravele
Head of State
•	1990–1994	Gabriel Ramushwana
•	Jan–Apr 1994	Tshamano G. Ramabulana
History
•	Self-government	1 February 1973
•	Nominal independence	13 September 1979
•	Dissolution	27 April 1994
Area
•	1980
Population
•	1980 est.	315,545
Density
•	1991 est.	558,797
Currency		South African rand
Preceded by Succeeded by South Africa South Africa
a.	Anthem of Venda at nationalanthems.info.

Venda (/vɛnˈdə/) was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, bordering Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of the Limpopo province. Venda was founded as a homeland by the South African government for the Venda people, speakers of the Venda language. For this reason the United Nations and international community refused to recognize Venda as an independent state.

History

File:Venda in South Africa.svg

Internal borders, Venda in red

Venda was declared self-governing on 1 February 1973, with elections held later in the year. Further elections were held in July 1978. The territory was declared independent by the South African government on 13 September 1979 and its residents lost their South African citizenship. In common with other Bantustans, its independence was not recognized by the international community.

Venda was initially a series of non-contiguous territories in the Transvaal, with one main part and one main exclave. Its capital, formerly at Sibasa, was moved to Thohoyandou (which included the old Sibasa administrative district) when Venda was declared independent in 1979. Prior to independence it was expanded to form one contiguous territory, with a total land area of 6,807 km². In the 1984 elections the ruling Venda Independence People's Party lost to the Venda National Party.

At independence in 1973, the population of Venda stood at about 200,000 people. The state was cut off from neighboring Zimbabwe by the Madimbo corridor, patrolled by South African troops, to the north, and from nearby Mozambique by the Kruger National Park.

The first President of Venda, Patrick Mphephu, was also a Paramount Chief of the Venda people; he was born and lived in Dzanani in Limpopo. His successor, Frank Ravele, was overthrown in a military coup in 1990, after which the territory was ruled by the Council of National Unity. Venda was re-absorbed into South Africa on 27 April 1994.

Institutions of Education

In 1982, the University of Venda was established as an institution of higher learning for the Venda people. Being nominally independent it was possible to set up a casino in the early 1980s, staffed mainly by British workers. This would not have been legally possible in South Africa proper.

Districts in 1991

Districts of the province and population at the 1991 census.

• Dzanani: 123,035
• Mutale: 244,532
• Thohoyandou: 136,089
• Vuwani: 55,141

See also

• Heads of State of Venda
• Venda people (Vhavenda), the ethnic group who live mostly in the Limpopo province in South Africa.

Sources

• Lahiff, E. (2000) An Apartheid Oasis?: Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods in Venda, Routledge. ISBN 0-7146-5137-0.