South Africa - Kwa Ndebele
Kwa Ndebele (Kwandebele)
KwaNdebele was a tribal homeland in the northeastern region of Republic of South Africa from 1977 until 1994.[1] The region was set aside for Ndebele-speaking people, and granted nominal self-rule in 1981. KwaNdebele was reincorporated into South Africa on 27 April 1994, becoming part of the Mpumalanga province.
Circa 1984 a unit of Ndebele soldiers was formed (115 Battalion) in the Central Transvaal with the intent of forming the basis of a defence force for the KwaNdebele Homeland. As it turned out there was not enough local support for the creation of a fully-independent KwaNdebele. 115 Battalion, therefore, remained a part of the SADF under the Central Transvaal Command (later the Gauteng Command) until it was disbanded in 1997.
KwaNdebele Camouflage
- A distinctive camouflage pattern was develeped for the KwaNdebele Defense Force around 1984, consisting of dark brown & orange-tan blotches on a nutria brown background. Although the uniform was issued and worn by members of 115 Battalion, its use was never completely adopted.
Notes
- ↑ The African Homeland, or bantustan, was a territory specifically set aside for black Africans of a specific ethnic or tribal group during the apartheid era.