[1] Botha Sigcau was favoured by the apartheid government because they could pay him a large salary in exchange for control of the Transkei.
There was also widespread corruption in the government appointed tribal courts of Eastern Pondoland, which Botha Sigcau ruled over.
In 1958, all the Pondoland districts were invited to send representatives to a large gathering called by the Minister of Bantu Administration and Development Michel Daniel Christiaan de Wet Nel, and Botha Sigcau.
[5] Two aircraft and a helicopter dropped tear-gas and smoke bombs on the crowd, and police vehicles approached from two directions.
Although it was a peaceful gathering, 11 people died and 23 were arrested after the meeting on a charge of ‘fighting’, and of these 19 were convicted and sentenced.