QwaQwa

QwaQwa was a bantustan ("homeland") in the central eastern part of South Africa. It encompassed a very small region of 655 square kilometres (253 sq mi) in the east of the former South African province of Orange Free State, bordering Lesotho. Its capital was Phuthaditjhaba. It was the designated homeland of more than 180,000 Sesotho-speaking Basotho people.

The frequent snow on the Drakensberg mountain peaks led the San to call the region "Qwa-Qwa" (whiter than white). In Afrikaans it was known as "Witsieshoek", after Oetse (also Witsie and Wetsi) a Makholoko chief who lived there from 1839 to 1856.

Two tribes lived in the region, the Bakoena and the Batlokoa. In 1969 they were united and the area was named "KwaKwa". In the same year the name was changed to "QwaQwa" to avoid an ethnic identification.

On 1 November 1974 QwaQwa was granted "self government", with Kenneth Mopeli as Chief Minister. Mopeli would serve as Chief Minister throughout QwaQwa's existence.

After 27 April 1994 QwaQwa was dissolved, following the first South African democratic election and reunited with South Africa, together with the nine other homelands. It is now part of the Free State province, with Phuthaditjhaba serving as the seat of Maluti a Phofung Local Municipality.