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((Short description|Defence force of the Republic of Bophuthatswana))
((Use dmy dates|date=October 2023))
((Use South African English|date=October 2023))
((More citations needed|date=December 2017))
((Infobox national military
| name               = Bophuthatswana Defence Force
| native_name        = Bophuthatswana Weermag
| image              = Flag of Bophuthatswana Defence Force.svg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Flag of the BDF
| image2             = 
| alt2               = 
| caption2           = 
| motto              = 
| founded            = 6 December 1977
| current_form       = 
| disbanded          = April 1994
| branches           = Infantry<br />Special Forces<br />[[Bophuthatswana Air Force|Air Force]]
| headquarters       = [[Mmabatho]]
| flying_hours       = 
| website            = <!--((URL|example.mil))-->
<!-- Leadership -->
| commander-in-chief = [[Lucas Mangope]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[List of leaders of the TBVC states#Bophuthatswana|Commander-in-chief]]
| chief minister     = 
| chief minister_title = 
| minister           = 
| minister_title     = 
| chief_of_staff     = 
| chief_of_staff_title = 
| commander          = Maj. Gen. H.S. Turner
| commander_title    = [[Chief of the Defence Force (Bophuthatswana)|Chief of the Defence Force]]
<!-- Manpower -->
| age                = 18–49
| conscription       = 
| manpower_data      = 
| manpower_age       = 
| available          = 
| available_f        = 
| fit                = 
| fit_f              = 
| reaching           = 
| reaching_f         = 
| active             = 
| ranked             = 
| reserve            = 
| deployed           = 3,000 (1988)
<!-- Financial -->
| amount             = 
| percent_GDP        = 
<!-- Industrial -->
| domestic_suppliers = 
| foreign_suppliers  = 
| imports            = 
| exports            = 
<!-- Related articles -->
| history            = [[Military history of South Africa]]
| ranks              = [[#Ranks|Military ranks of Bophuthatswana]]
))

The '''Bophuthatswana Defence Force''' (((lang-af|Bophuthatswana Weermag)); BDF) was established on 6 December 1977 from trainees of the [[South African Defence Force]]. It was the defence force of the [[Bophuthatswana|Republic of Bophuthatswana]], a nominally independent [[bantustan]] during the [[Apartheid]] era of [[South Africa]].

==Organisation and structure==

A National Guard of about 125 soldiers initially formed the Bophuthatswana National Guard in time for the independence of [[Bophuthatswana]]. Initially this group merely performed ceremonial duties and was housed within the office of the President.

A SADF Officer, Brigadier Riekert, served as a military adviser to President [[Lucas Mangope]].
Over time an embryonic Department of Defence was developed resulting in the establishment of the Bophuthatswana Defence Force (BDF) on the 30 November 1979 with Brigadier Riekerk as the Minister of Defence and Lt Col Jack Turner as the Chief of the BDF.

==Development of the BDF==

===Bases and areas of command===

The BDF developed military areas and bases at:

*1 Military Area covered the region of [[Mafikeng]], [[Mmabatho]], and [[Lehurutshe|Lehurutse]] and housed:
**The Molopo base, with One Infantry Battalion, the Military School and the Technical Services Unit
**The Lehuru Tshe base, with the Parachute Battalion
*2 Military Area covered the region of [[Mankwe]] and [[Moretele]] and housed:
**The Mankwe base, with Two Infantry Battalion, a COIN unit
**The Bafokeng base, a company group base
**The Odi base, a company group base
*3 Military Area covered the region of [[Thaba 'Nchu|Thaba’Nchu]] and [[Taung]] and housed:
**The Thaba’Nchu base, a company group base and 
**The Taung base, a company group base.

===Units===

==== One BDF Infantry Battalion ====
The first true armed unit formed was One Infantry Battalion based at [[Molopo Local Municipality|Molopo]], while its training wing eventually formed the Military School.

====Technical Services Unit====
A Technical Services Unit at Molopo was also formed from a Light Workshop Troop.

====Two BDF Infantry Battalion====
A second Infantry Battalion was formed and based at [[Mankwe]], specialising in COIN operations.

====Parachute and Special Forces====
A Parachute Battalion and Special Forces Unit was also formed. Together these units formed the Task Force.

====Other Units====
*	BDF Signals Unit with a Supply Depot was housed at the old Mafikeng Air Base after the establishment of Air Force Base Mmabatho. 
*	BDF Supply Depot
*	BDF Maintenance Unit

====Air Wing====
((see also|Bophuthatswana Air Force))
Based at Air Force Base Mmabatho and consisted of:

• A Transport Wing: Operated [[CASA 212]], [[CASA 235]] and [[Pilatus PC-6]]

• A Helicopter Wing: [[Aérospatiale Alouette III]] and [[BK 117]]s

• A Training Wing: [[Pilatus PC-7]]

Brigadier M.P. Janse van Rensburg as Chief fell under the Chief of the BDF.<ref>((Cite web|date=2017-01-20|title=Bophuthatswana Defence Force|url=https://saartillery.wordpress.com/archives/afrikaner-sadf-sa/bophuthatswana-defence-force/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=SA Artillery ((!)) Military Defense Security Intelligence Politics|language=en))</ref>

===Attempted coup===
The establishment of the Bophuthatswana National Security Unit as an addendum to the BDF in 1986 may have contributed to the aborted coup attempt of 2 February 1988. This unit was primarily responsible for the provision of infrastructure. One contentious issue was the low entry requirements for the BNSU compared to that of the BDF, resulting in dissatisfaction.

After the coup was thwarted through the intervention of the SADF, Brigadier Riekert resigned as Minister of Defence and President Mangope personally took over the defence portfolio. The BNSU was disbanded and a small number of former BNSU members were allowed to join the BDF.
For practical reasons, a Defence Committee under the chairmanship of Minister Rowan Cronje was established to assist the Chief of the BDF in dealing with welfare and social issues, since these were considered to be the most important sources of the dissatisfaction which had contributed to the coup attempt. Minister Cronje subsequently took over the defence portfolio in 1991.

===Invasion of Bophuthatswana===
((Further|1994 Bophuthatswana crisis))
On 11 March 1994, following a request from President Mangope for assistance from the Afrikaner Volksfront, hundreds of [[Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging]] (AWB) members unlawfully entered Bophuthatswana from South Africa, to "help" restore control in the face of a strike by civil servants, resulting in 42 residents of Mafikeng killed and three AWB members shot dead by a Bophuthatswana Police sergeant.

The unrest ended when SADF was officially requested to assist in restoring safety and security, by General Turner (Chief of BDF). The request was done as per security agreement between the BDF and SADF. Bophuthatswana was then soon thereafter placed under the control of the South African government.

Shortly afterwards, Mangope was removed from power and a temporary administrator was put in place by the South African [[Transitional Executive Council]]<ref>((Cite web|url=http://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/three-awb-members-shot-and-killed-during-invasion-bophuthatswana|title = Three AWB members shot and killed during the invasion of Bophuthatswana &#124; South African History Online))</ref>

===Disbandment===
During the historical [[1994 South African general election]], 2 SSB took part in Operation Baccarat (stability in Mmabatho and Passado (border protection) as a peace force to ensure stability in the North West Province).

On 19 December 1994, the Bophuthatswana Defence Force Parachute Battalion at Gopane was placed under operational command of 2 SSB, as part of the founding of the SANDF. 2 SSB withdrew simultaneously from Nietverdiend and Nooitgedacht. From August 1994 to 15 June 1995 successful bridging training was provided for 550 formerly non-statutory force members.

With the end of [[Apartheid]] in 1994 in South Africa, the former defence forces of the bantustans were incorporated into the newly formed [[South African National Defence Force]].

The SANDF's new [[10 South African Infantry Battalion]] heraldry clearly originates from the Bophuthatswana Defence Force, its forebear.

===Insignia===

[[File:Bophuthatswana Defence Force Tupper Flash Structure.jpg|thumb|center|900px|Bophuthatswana Defence Force Structure]]

==Ranks==
((Main|Comparative military ranks of apartheid states in southern Africa))
The ranks of the BDF were:<ref name="ISS">((cite journal|url=https://www.issafrica.org/pubs/ASR/SADR13/Cilliers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624051842/https://www.issafrica.org/pubs/ASR/SADR13/Cilliers.html|title=An Overview of the Armed Forces of the TBVC Countries|author=Jakkie Cilliers|journal=South African Defence Review|issue=13|date=1993|archive-date=24 June 2016))</ref><ref>((cite web |title=Bophuthatswana Defence Force |url=https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/bl4AAOSwxsNf2Tha/$_59.JPG?set_id=8800005007 |access-date=2 March 2021))</ref>
;Officers
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank))
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/Bophuthatswana))
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OF/Bophuthatswana))
|}

;Others
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px; width: 50%"
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Blank))
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/Bophuthatswana))
((Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Air Forces/OR/Bophuthatswana))
|}

==Equipment==
The BDF was equipped for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations. 
The BDF used:
* [[Vektor R4|R4/R5]] assault rifles,
* 7,62&nbsp;mm Light Machine Gun
* 40&nbsp;mm Multiple Grenade Launcher, 
* 60&nbsp;mm and 81&nbsp;mm mortars and
* [[M2 Browning|M2]] 12.7mm HMGs.
*105mm Recoilless Rifle

Vehicles included [[Mamba APC|Mambas]], [[Buffel|Buffels]], [[SAMIL Trucks|Samil]] 20, seven-ton Isuzu trucks, and 4x4 vehicles.

==Medals==
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFGC|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFMD|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFDG|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFMM|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFMCI|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFCM|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFMCII|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFNM|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFGSM|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFIM|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFLSG|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFLSS|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFLSB|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFOLC|org=Bophuthatswana))
* ((MilAward Desc|BDFshoot|org=Bophuthatswana))

==References==
((reflist))

==Further reading==
* ((cite book |title=Bophuthatswana Defence Force: 1979-1989 |date=1989))

((SA Army Units))
((Military ranks by country))

[[Category:Apartheid government]]
[[Category:Organisations associated with apartheid]]
[[Category:Defunct organisations based in South Africa]]
[[Category:Disbanded armed forces]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1977]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of the Cold War]]
[[Category:Military units and formations of South Africa]]
[[Category:Bophuthatswana]]
[[Category:Military decorations and medals of Bophuthatswana]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1994]]

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