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Provinces of South Africa

New and old Provinces
Mpumalanga
Transvaal

New and old Provinces

None of the 4 old provinces' flags were officially recognized. Ironically, those of the black self administered areas all had flags, but this of course was part of the strategy of grand apartheid which invisaged all the homelands becoming independent states. Four, Transkei, Ciskei, Venda and Bophuthatwana were granted independence. This was revoked (forcibly in the case of Bop) during the transition process and their flags and emblems ceased to be legal.
stuart notholt

The former South African Homelands/bantustans ceased to exist on 27 April 1994. They have all (including the former so called independent Homelands) been reincorporated into South Africa.

The flags of the former Homelands are no longer in use (either officially or unofficially).
bruce berry - 25-APR-1996

Up to September 1995 none of the 9 new South African provinces have adopted their own flags although one or two have proposals in this regard. There is currently a debate in this country as to wether the provinces should have their own flags or not with the ANC holding the view that the provinces should not have individual flags.
Gauteng province has, neverthelss, adopted new Arms for the province! Details (and an illustration) are in the latest SAVA Newsletter.
Note also the following provinces have recently changed their names: PWV province is now GAUTENG (Sotho word for place of "gold"), Orange Free State now simply FREE STATE, Northern Transvaal now NORTHERN PROVINCE; Eastern Transvaal last month renamed MPUMALANGA (Where the sun rises).
For those of you who are interested "Transvaal" has now disappeared altogether. Northern Cape province is also considering a name change too.
bruce berry

Mpumalanga

The first of the new South African provinces to adopt a provincial flag is Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal). According to the Government Gazette of 23 February 1996, the new provincial flag is descibed as follows:

A rectangular flag in the proportion of 2:3, divided horizontally from the hoist, 3/10 of the distance from the lower edge to where it intersects a diagonal line drawn from the lower hoist corner to the upper flag corner, it follows that line upto 3/10 the distance from the upper edge, from where it inclines horizontally to the fly, yellow above green; adjoining the central partition line, a blue upper and white lower stripe respectively, each 1/10 the width of the flag and in the upper hoist a red Barberton daisy, in diameter one half the width of the flag, its petals equidistant from the upper edge, hoist and blue stripe respectively, with a yellow heart, in diametre 1/10 the width of the flag.

In short, a red Barberton diasy in the canton on a yellow background, under which are two small blue and white stripes starting below the the daisy and then bending (inclining) diagonally upwards before straightening horizontally to the fly edge of the flag. The lower half of the fly side of the flag is green. The diagonal is meant to represent the escarpment which is the main topographical feature of the province. The Barberton daisy is indigenous to the area.
An illustration of the flag and new Arms of the province will be shown in the next issue of the SAVA NEWSLETTER (April 1996).
bruce berry 6-MAR-1996