Venda

Venda, former republic (though never internationally recognized as such) and Bantustan in Southern Africa. It consisted of an enclave within the Transvaal, Republic of South Africa, just south of Zimbabwe. Its capital, formerly at Sibasa, was moved to Thohoyandou when Venda was declared independent in 1979. Venda shared a boundary to the southeast with what was then the non-independent Bantustan of Gazankulu, South Africa, and to the northeast with Kruger National Park.

The Venda people migrated into the region in the early 1700s ad from what is now Zimbabwe and established numerous ruling houses. These came in conflict with the Transvaal republic in the latter half of the 19th century resulting in a campaign against Chief Mphephu by the Transvaal government. The chief was defeated and the Venda area was annexed in 1898. Venda was a distinct administrative unit within South Africa before it became officially independent. In 1962 South Africa designated it a homeland for the Venda-speaking people, and a territorial authority was established. The territory was granted partial self-government in 1973. A legislative assembly was elected, and Patrick Mphephu became chief minister.

On Sept. 13, 1979, South Africa proclaimed Venda an independent republic, with Mphephu as president. It was the third of South Africa’s Bantustans to be granted independence in the 1970s, following Transkei (1976) and Bophuthatswana (1977). The United Nations Security Council met the next week and unanimously condemned the creation of the three black republics as an attempt, on the part of South Africa, to legitimize and perpetuate apartheid. Only South Africa, Transkei, and Bophuthatswana recognized Venda’s independence. Under the South African constitution that abolished the apartheid system, Venda was reincorporated into South Africa as part of the newly created Northern (now Limpopo) province in 1994.