Bhisho town, formerly Bisho, is the provincial capital of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa.
Overview
| Country: | South Africa |
| Province: | Eastern Cape |
| Municipality: | Buffalo City |
| Total Area: | 8.08 km² (3.12 sq mi) |
| Population: | 11,192 (2011) |
| Population Density: | 1,390/km² (3,590/sq mi) |
| Time Zone: | UTC+2 (SAST) |
| Postal Code (street): | 5605 |
| PO Box: | 5605 |
| Area Code: | 040 |
About Bhisho
Bhisho derives its name from the Xhosa word for Buffalo, which is also the name of the river (Buffalo River) that runs through the town.
Bisho was named after the song by Ben Tyazashe, who wrote of his longing for his home, Bisho, his name for King William’s Town.
Bhisho is located 70km from East London and just 3km to the east of Qonce (previously known as King William’s Town).
Bhisho seems to be dominated by the nearby Qonce, the towns are virtually one due to the fact that Qonce is situated only a few kilometres away.
Bhisho is part of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality and is dependent on Qonce and East London.
Bhisho was built by the South African government in the 1970s and 1980s as the capital of the Ciskei homeland after the apartheid government refused to incorporate King William’s Town into the Ciskei, which became ‘independent’ in 1982. Following the reintegration of Ciskei into South Africa in 1994, Bisho became the capital of the Eastern Cape Province.
The Office of the Premier, Provincial Legislature and many other Government Departments have their headquarters in Bhisho town.
Bhisho’s major structures include government buildings, a hotel and casino complex, a branch of the University of Fort Hare, and a sports stadium.
Bhisho has some of the most spectacular views of the Amathole (Amatola) mountain range, covered by age old forests.
The majority of Bhisho’s population is either employed by or servicing the Government. Bhisho is surrounded by residential areas, which include: ‘Bisho Central; Tyutyu North; Bisho Gardens; Balasi and Amatola View’.
Bhisho Airport is a local airport in Eastern Cape, South Africa, which serves Bhisho and King William’s Town. The airport lies on the right side of the N2 National Road towards Peddie. There is also another airport situated 56 km away in East London.
Racial makeup
According to the 2011 Census, 98.3% of the population in Bhisho describes themselves as Black African, 1.0% as Coloured, 0.2% as White, 0.2% as Indian/Asian, and 0.2% as the remaining minority races.
Languages
According to the 2011 Census, the first language of 92.0% of the population is Xhosa, while 4.0% speak English, and 4.1% speak other languages.
Bisho Massacre
On 7 September 1992, Bhisho became the scene of the Bisho massacre, when about 80–100,000 people marched on Bisho calling for the dismantling of Ciskei, which still maintained a measure of independence, and removal of the homeland’s leader Brigadier Oupa Gqozo.
The Ciskei Defence Force opened fire, shooting dead 28 or 29 people, and wounding 100. The massacre came at a critical time when negotiations towards democracy were underway.
Each year during the Month of September, the Bisho Massacre Memorial Lecture is held to commemorate the massacre and various leaders from around South Africa take part in it.
