South African Question

Could anyone please confirm whether
the stamps of the former South African
homelands : Bophuthatswana ; Ciskei ;
Transkei ; and Venda are still valid for
postage in the Republic of South Africa?

Blair

It is doubtful that they are valid. These states were created by the racist
South African regime, and were considered as puppets. I believe no country
besides South Africa recognized them. Perhaps someone in South Africa can
confirm that.

Tony

"Blair (TC)" wrote in message
oups.com...
Could anyone please confirm whether
the stamps of the former South African
homelands : Bophuthatswana ; Ciskei ;
Transkei ; and Venda are still valid for
postage in the Republic of South Africa?

Blair





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Although these states were not recognised outside of South Africa, and
as far as I am aware had no UPU status, their stamps were generally
accepted for international mail.
South African stamps back to the first decimal issues of 1961 are still
valid, so I would guess that the same applies to the stamps of the
former homelands.
Clive

A.E. Gelat wrote:
It is doubtful that they are valid. These states were created by the racist
South African regime, and were considered as puppets. I believe no country
besides South Africa recognized them. Perhaps someone in South Africa can
confirm that.

Tony

"Blair (TC)" wrote in message
oups.com...
Could anyone please confirm whether
the stamps of the former South African
homelands : Bophuthatswana ; Ciskei ;
Transkei ; and Venda are still valid for
postage in the Republic of South Africa?

Blair

Whilst this doesn't address Blair's query,
this is what I have on the UPU status (from 2003)
HTH

http://cjoint.com/data/dFlkslbGeb.htm


| Although these states were not recognised outside of South Africa, and
| as far as I am aware had no UPU status, their stamps were generally
| accepted for international mail.
| South African stamps back to the first decimal issues of 1961 are still
| valid, so I would guess that the same applies to the stamps of the
| former homelands.
| Clive

Transkei

FIRST Postage STAMPS ISSUED 26 October 1976.

CURRENCY As South Africa.

Territories under the protection of Cape Colony in 1858-65, then
abandoned. Annexed to the Colony in 1879-84, but reserved for
it's black population from 1913.

Transkei received internal self-government from South Africa in
1963 and was made an independent republic on 26 October 1976.
It was not recognized by the UN or the UPU, but its stamps were
accepted as valid for international mail.

The territory was reincorporated into the RSA on 27 April 1994.
The Transkei Postal Service continued with RSA adhesives until
June 1996 when it was fully incorporated into the RSA system.

Bophuthatswana

FIRST STAMPS ISSUED 6 December 1977.

CURRENCY As South Africa.

Tribal homeland territories of South Africa, lying west of Pretoria
in the Rustenburg - Mafeking - Vryburg - Kuruman area, given
autonomy in 1977.

The territory was reincorporated into the RSA on 27 April 1994. The
Postal Service of Bophuthatswana continued with RSA adhesives
until June 1996 when it was fully incorporated into the RSA system.

Venda

FIRST Postage STAMPS ISSUED 13 September 1979.

CURRENCY 1979, as South Africa.

The Venda Territory Authority was established in 1969 and
was granted internal self-government on 1 February 1973.
Venda became fully independent on 13 September 1979.

The territory was reincorporated into the RSA on 27 April 1994.
The Postal Service continued with RSA adhesives until
June 1996 when it was fully incorporated into the RSA system.

Ciskei

FIRST Postage STAMPS ISSUED 2 December 1981.

CURRENCY 1981, as South Africa.

Territorial authority within South Africa was established in 1961
and autonomous government was granted in 1972. Ciskei
became fully independent on 4 December 1981. As in the case
of Venda, this independence was not accepted internationally,
but stamps were accepted for carriage of mail outside South Africa.

The territory was reincorporated into the RSA on 27 April 1994.
The Ciskei Postal Service continued with RSA adhesives until
June 1996 when it was fully incorporated into the RSA system.

Note: Although the four homelands postal services used RSA
stamps from 1994-1996, their own stamps are still valid for
postage in RSA. I recently received a registered cover from
RSA prepaid with both RSA and Transkei stamps.

Blair Stannard
March 2006

ADDENDUM

A few hours after my last posting , I received another
letter from South Africa. The envelope (over weight)
(Rands 7.07 + 4 x standard mail rate) was franked by
25 stamps of 4 nations.

South Africa - 12 stamps
Bophuthatswana - 10 stamps
Venda - 8 stamps
Transkei - 5 stamps

This would seem to confirm ongoing validity of
homelands stamps for RSA postage.

Blair

and a map of the black homelands 1986
(previously posted on rcsd)
which may be of use to identify the non contiguous areas involved.
(It certainly assisted the writer in this regard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantustan