Ciskei commemorative envelope and stamps

In the SANHF gallery (note the Cecilia Makiwane section) there are photos of a 1982 commemorative envelope and stamps from the former Ciskei homeland.

What makes the envelope and first day sheet (stamps) important to the history of South African nursing is the fact that is signed by the Minister of Health & Welfare, HC Beukes (can anybody confirm the authenticity of this signature?) and has nursing as its theme. Even more importantly -the stamp of the Ciskei Nursing Association is evident.

The Ciskei homeland was one of two (the other being the Transkei) homelands created to accommodate Xhosa speaking people. It was situated in the area around East-London with its capitol in Bisho.The former Ciskei was one of ten homelands created by the Apartheid Government by means of formal legislation including:

• The Bantu Homelands Citizenship Act of 1970
• The Bantu Authority Act 68 of 1951 which gave homelands regional authority
• The Promotion of Bantu Self Governance Act 1959

The Ciskei became an independent homeland on 4 December 1981 and ceased to exist on 27 April 1994, with the commencement of democratic rule in South Africa. The following web page provides more information:
www.sahistory.org.za/special-features/homelands

As the Ciskei was viewed as an independent homeland, it had its own governing structures including a Department of Health And Welfare, with a minister managing its affairs. This independent department existed since 1975 and its duties included the management of a large specialist referral and teaching hospital: the Cecilia Makiwane hospital (formerly known as the Fikile Siyo Hospital). The following electronic link provides us with a primary document which explains the state of health care in the then homeland (Health and Health Services in the Ciskei, community health research project, Saldru working paper no 54, Cape Town, Sept 1983, p 17-53):
opensaldru.uct.ac.za/bitstream/handle/11...swp54.pdf?sequence=1

The Ciskeian Nursing Council was established by the Nursing Act 13 of 1984. (To understand the greater context of the homeland nursing councils and associations one has to read Nursing Act no 50 of 1978). Homeland nursing councils ceased to exist with the Nursing Amendment Act no 5 of 1995, which established an Interim Nursing Council. The following link provides more information:
www.saflii.org/za/legis/num_act/naa1995196/

I am still searching information about the Ciskei Nursing Association - hope to post a follow up soon.