Login
Login

Volksraad (South African Republic)

{{Short description|Abolished legislature of the South African Republic}}

{{Use South African English|date=October 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Volksraad van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek

| transcription_name =

| coa_pic = Coat of arms of the South African Republic.svg

| coa_res = 150px

| coa_caption = Coat of arms of the South African Republic

| house_type = Unicameral 1840–1890
Bicameral 1890–1902

| houses = 1890–1902:

: First Volksraad

: Second Volksraad

| legislature =

| established = 1840

| preceded_by =

| disbanded = 31 May 1902

| leader1_type =

| leader1 =

| leader2_type =

| leader2 =

| members = 48 (24 First, 24 Second)

| house1 =

| house2 =

| house3 =

| voting_system =

| session_room = Ou Raadsaal Plenarsaal.jpg

| session_res = 220px

| meeting_place = Ou Raadsaal, Pretoria

| footnotes =

}}

The Volksraad of the South African Republic (English: "People's Council" of the South African Republic, {{langx|af|Volksraad van die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek}}) was the parliament of the former South African Republic (ZAR), it existed from 1840{{cite book |last1=Pratt |first1=Edwin |title=Leading points in South African history 1486 to March 30, 1900 arranged chronologically, with date index |date=1900 |publisher=John Murray, Albemarle Street, London |page=31 |url=https://archive.org/details/leadingpointsin00pratgoog/page/n64/mode/2up? |access-date=19 February 2021}} to 1877,{{cite book |last1=Eybers |first1=G. W. |title=Select constitutional documents illustrating South African history, 1795-1910 |date=1918 |publisher=George Routledge & Sons, Limited New York; E. P. Button & Co. |page=448-454 |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924030542165/page/n447/mode/2up |access-date=16 February 2021}} and from 1881 to 1902{{sfn|Eybers|1917|p=456, 345}} in part of what is now South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British Empire's victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The Volksraad sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria.[https://books.google.com/books?id=X21BAQAAIAAJ&q=%22raadsaal%22 Transvaal: The Golden Province], C. van Rensburg Publications, 1992, page 34

Unicameral body

In 1840, at the beginning of the Natalia Republic, an adjunct Volksraad was created in Potchefstroom for settlers west of the Drakensberg. The Potchefstroom Volksraad continued despite the British annexation of the Natalia Republic in 1843.{{sfn|Eybers|1917|p=349}} It eventually passed the Thirty-three Articles, the precursor to the 1858 constitution (Grondwet), in 1849.{{sfn|Pratt|1910|p=44}} In 1858 the Grondwet permanently established the Volksraad as the supreme authority of the nation. {{cite book |last1=Papengus |first1=F. H. |title=The constitution ("grondwet") of the South African Republic |date=1889 |publisher=London, H. MacLeay |pages=7–12 |url=https://archive.org/details/constitutiongro00papegoog/page/n8/mode/2up |access-date=19 February 2021}}

Volksraad was initially a unicameral body. It consisted of three members for each of the districts of Potchefstroom, Lydenburg, Rustenburg, Zoutpansberg, Pretoria, Wakkerstroom, Utrecht, Middelburg, Heidelberg, Waterberg, Marico, and Bloemhof, and one member for each of the towns of Potchefstroom, Lydenburg, Rustenburg, and Pretoria.

The members had to be of European origin, over thirty years old, possessed real estate, never convicted of crime, member of a Protestant church, and voters in the Republic of at least three years.{{cite book |last1=McCall Theal |first1=George |title=History of South Africa since September 1795 |url=https://webcms.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/183/fhya_library/Theal,%20G.M.%20History%20of%20South%20Africa%20since%20September%201795%20vol%204.pdf |publisher=SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO. |date=1908}}{{PD-notice}}

Before 1873 the members were elected for two years, and half of the members retired every two years. The Volksraad met once a year in ordinary session.

Bicameral body

File:South Africa Pretoria Old Raadsaal.jpg at the Ou Raadsaal, circa 1890]]

Initially a unicameral body, the Volksraad was divided into two chambers in 1890 in order to keep Boer control over state matters while still giving Uitlanders (foreigners) — many of whom were temporarily employed in the mining industry — a say in local affairs, in order to fend off British complaints.[https://books.google.com/books?id=blgjhkGD0vgC&dq=%22zar%22+%22second+volksraad%22&pg=PA238 The Afrikaners: Biography of a People], Hermann Giliomee,

C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2003, page 238

From 1890 the Volksraad consisted of two houses of 24 members each.{{sfn|Eybers|1917|p=490}} The "Second Volksraad" had suffrage for all white males above 16 years, and had limited legislative powers in the fields of mining, road construction, copyright and certain commercial affairs, all subject to ratification by the "First Volksraad".[https://books.google.com/books?id=igkwAQAAIAAJ&q=%22zar%22+%22second+volksraad%22 The Anglo-Boer War: a Chronology], Pieter Gerhardus Cloete, J.P. van der Walt, 2000, page 13 This was the highest authority in charge of state policy, with preference being given to fully franchised burghers for appointment to government posts.[https://books.google.com/books?id=ph8OAAAAYAAJ&q=%22zar%22+%22first+volksraad%22+%22burghers%22 Judge and be Judged],

Adrienne E. Van Blerk, Juta & Company, 1988, page 113

The members of the First Volkraad were elected for four years.{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Frederick |last2=Keltie |first2=Sir John Scott |last3=Renwick |first3=Isaac Parker Anderson |last4=Epstein |first4=Mortimer |last5=Steinberg |first5=Sigfrid Henry |title=The Statesman's Year-book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J286AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA801 |publisher=Palgrave |language=en |date=1894}} First Volksraad members had to be born in the state.

The Second Volksraad, of the Uitlanders, was allegedly without power.{{cite web |title=An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord 1897 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TUMsAAAAMAAJ |publisher=Joseph Whitaker |language=en |date=1848}}

Chairmen of the Volksraad 1844–1890

The chairmen of the unicameral Volksraad (Voorzitter van den Volksraad).

Chairmen of the First Volksraad 1890–1902

The chairmen of the First Volksraad (Voorzitter van den Eersten Volksraad).

  • Frederik Gerhardus Hendrik Wolmarans, 1890-1891{{cite web |title=Almanach de Gotha: annuaire généalogique, diplomatique et statistique |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYA-XQKY0agC |publisher=J. Perthes |language=fr}}{{cite web |title=The Argus Annual and South African Directory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7lQMAAAAYAAJ |publisher=Argus Print. and Publishing Company |language=en |date=1896}}
  • P. A. Klopper, ?-1891-?{{cite web |last1=Whitaker |first1=Joseph |title=An Almanack...: By Joseph Whitaker, F.S.A., Containing an Account of the Astronomical and Other Phenomena ...information Respecting the Government, Finances, Population, Commerce, and General Statistics of the Various Nations of the World, with Special Reference to the British Empire and the United States |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MChLAAAAYAAJ |publisher=Whitaker's Almanack. |language=en |date=1891}}
  • Jacobus Marthinus Malan, ?-1894-?
  • Schalk Willem Burger, 1895-1896{{cite web |last1=Prins |first1=Antony Winkler |title=Winkler Prins' Geïllustreerde encyclopaedie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkIhAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Uitgevers-maatschappy "Elsevier" |language=nl |date=1906}}
  • T. N. de Villiers, ?-1897-?{{cite web |author=Transvaal (South Africa) |title=Locale wetten der Z.A. Republiek |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rgwbAAAAYAAJ |language=nl |date=1897}}
  • Frederik Gerhardus Hendrik Wolmarans, 1898-1899{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Lionel |last2=Fraser |first2=Maryna |last3=Jeeves |first3=Alan |title=All that Glittered: Selected Correspondence of Lionel Phillips, 1890-1924 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GF41AAAAMAAJ |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |date=1977}}
  • Lucas Johannes Meyer, 1899{{cite web |title=THE TRANSVAAL. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/3702859 |website=Brisbane Courier |date=4 October 1899}}-1900-?{{cite web |title=De Volksraadszitting in Pretoria. (7 Mei 1900.), De oorlog in Zuid-Afrika. De strijd tusschen Engeland en de verbonden Boeren-republieken Transvaal en Oranje-Vrijstaat in zijn verloop geschetst. Deel 2, Louwrens Penning |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/penn006oorl03_01/penn006oorl03_01_0028.php |website=DBNL |language=nl}}

Chairmen of the Second Volksraad 1890–1902

The chairmen of the Second Volksraad (Voorzitter van den Tweede Volksraad).

  • Hendrik Vermaas, 1891-?
  • Jacobus Johannes Burger, ?-1892-1894-?{{cite web |title=Gothaischer Hof Kalender zum Nutzen und Vergnügen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ekfAFyFHCLQC |publisher=J. Perthes |language=de |date=1892}}{{cite web |title=The Argus Annual and South African Directory |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hlYMAAAAYAAJ |publisher=Argus Print. and Publishing Company |language=en |date=1894}}
  • Nicolaas Samuel Malherbe, ?-1894-1898-?{{cite web |last1=Whitaker |first1=Joseph |title=An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord ... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M3w3AAAAMAAJ |publisher=J. Whitaker |language=en |date=1898}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{National unicameral legislatures}}

South African Republic

Category:Defunct unicameral legislatures

Category:Defunct organisations based in South Africa

Category:1857 establishments in South Africa

Category:1902 disestablishments in South Africa