Bhisho - History
Bhisho, formerly the capital of the Ciskei, was granted independence in 1981 and was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994 and whilst seen by some as a suburb of King William's Town, Bhisho is in fact a separate city from King Williams Town altogether.

Now the capital of the Eastern Cape Province, the town is headquarters to the Provincial Legislature as well as numerous other government departments. Situated just 3km north-east of the former provincial capital, King Williams Town, Bhisho has some of the most stunning views of the Amatola Mountains. The town also boasts the longest international airport runway in Southern Africa. The town's major structures include government buildings, a hotel and casino complex, a branch of the University of Fort Hare.

The system of racially segregated homelands had been a central pillar of apartheid, but between 1990 and 1994, negotiations were taking place between the government of South Africa and the African National Congress (ANC) to end the apartheid system.

With multi-racial democratic elections as the likely outcome of the negotiations, the ANC wished to organise and mobilise its supporters in the Eastern Cape area, a traditional stronghold for ANC supporters. Its military leader, Brigadier Oupa Gqozo however resisted this and prevented the ANC from getting organised.

The ANC sent a memorandum to President F. W. de Klerk on 3 September, demanding that Gqozo be replaced with an interim administration which would permit free democratic activity in Ciskei and the reincorporation of the Ciskei into South Africa. With the Ciskei no longer under South Africa's jurisdiction, De Klerk refused and negotiations broke down.

This resulted in the ANC’s campaign of "mass action" whereby they planned a protest march to occupy Bisho and force Gqozo's resignation. Gqozo sought a court interdict to prevent the march and the magistrate ruled that it could take place at the Independence Stadium outside Bisho, but could not enter the capital.

The ANC refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the Ciskei court and on 7 September, about 80 000 protesters, led by senior ANC leaders including South African Communist Party Secretary General Chris Hani, Cyril Ramaphosa, Steve Tshwete and Ronnie Kasrils, embarked on a protest march to occupy Bhisho.

A break-away group led by Kasrils tried to force their way through the Ciskei Defence Force lines to enter Bhisho, Ciskei Defence Force soldiers opened fire on the marchers with automatic weapons, killing 28 marchers and one soldier, and injuring over 200.