The World - News from Feb. 12, 1988
South African soldiers and loyalist troops of the tribal homeland of Bophuthatswana recaptured without a shot the base from which rebels staged a 15-hour coup Wednesday. But officials said that opposition leader Rocky Malebane-Metsing, who briefly claimed power after the coup, was still at large. South African troops entered the homeland to rescue its president, Lucas Mangope, and restore him to power. Only South Africa recognizes Bophuthatswana and three other homelands as independent republics. The U.S. State Department said South Africa’s use of troops was an internal matter.
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