independent, adjective
- Origin:
- EnglishShow more Special sense of general English independent autonomous.
historical
Of or pertaining to any of four ethnically-based territories within South Africa which were granted self-government in terms of the policy of separate development. Often in the special collocation independent Black state, independent state. See also homeland sense 1, TBVC. Cf. self-governing.
- Note:
- The former ‘independent’ states of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei were not recognized by the international community, and were viable only because of substantial monetary support from South Africa. They were reincorporated in 1994.
1963 Annual Register: Rec. of World Events 1962 314A series of ‘independent’ Bantu ‘homelands’, where each ethnic group would have a vote.
1989 J. Hobbs Thoughts in Makeshift Mortuary 302Bophutatswana, one of the black areas promoted to ‘independent’ homelands that began to spread like patches of fungus on the map of South Africa after 1976.
Of or pertaining to any of four ethnically-based territories within South Africa which were granted self-government in terms of the policy of separate development. Often in the special collocation independent Black state, independent state.

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