The State President of the South African Republic had the executive authority in the South African Republic. According to the constitution of 1871, executive power was vested in the president, who was responsible to the Volksraad. The president was elected for a term of five years and was eligible for re-election. The president had to be Burgher and also qualified to vote for the First Volksraad elections, over 30 years old, a member of a Protestant church, and never convicted of a dishonourable offence.[1]
State President of the South African Republic | |
---|---|
Staatspresident van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek | |
Style | His Excellency |
Residence | Kruger House, Pretoria (Kruger) |
Formation | 22 October 1866 |
First holder | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius |
Final holder | Paul Kruger |
Abolished | 31 May 1902 |
Deputy | Vice State President of the South African Republic |
The title before 1866 was Dutch: President van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek and after 1866 Dutch: Staatspresident der Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek).
The country was referred to as the Transvaal Republic by the British.
List of officeholders
editNo. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
Presidents of the Executive Council (1857–1866) | |||||
1 | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819–1901) |
6 January 1857 | 15 September 1860 | 3 years, 253 days | |
– | Johannes Hermanus Grobler (1813–1892) Acting |
15 September 1860 | 6 December 1860 (ousted) |
82 days | |
Civil War (1861–1864) | |||||
– | Stephanus Schoeman (1810–1890) Acting[a] |
6 December 1860 | 17 April 1862 | 1 year, 132 days | |
2 | Willem Cornelis Janse van Rensburg (1818–1865) |
18 April 1862 | 23 October 1863 | 1 year, 188 days | |
23 October 1863 | 10 May 1864 | 200 days | |||
(1) | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819–1901) |
10 May 1864 | 22 October 1866 | 2 years, 165 days | |
State Presidents (1866–1902) | |||||
1 | Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (1819–1901) |
22 October 1866[b] | 20 November 1871 | 5 years, 29 days | |
– | Daniel Jacobus Erasmus (1830–1913) Acting |
21 November 1871 | 1 July 1872 | 223 days | |
2 | Thomas François Burgers (1834–1881) |
1 July 1872 | 12 April 1877 | 4 years, 285 days | |
First Boer War (12 April 1877 – 8 August 1881) First British annexation (Transvaal Colony)[c] | |||||
– | |
Triumvirate:
|
13 December 1880 | 9 May 1883 | 2 years, 147 days |
3 | Paul Kruger (1825–1904) |
9 May 1883 | 31 May 1902[d] | 19 years, 22 days | |
Second Boer War (11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902) | |||||
– | Schalk Willem Burger (1852–1918) Acting for absent Kruger |
10 September 1900 | 31 May 1902 | 1 year, 263 days | |
Post abolished with the Treaty of Vereeniging Second British annexation (Transvaal Colony) |
Timeline
editLast election
editCandidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
Paul Kruger | 12,858 | 69.08 |
Schalk Willem Burger | 3,753 | 20.16 |
Piet Joubert | 2,001 | 10.75 |
Total | 18,612 | 100.00 |
Source: Annual Register[2] |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ After 1862, the leader of rebel forces.
- ^ The office of the State President was created by constitutional amendment approved at session of the Volksraad on 22 October 1866.
- ^ The government of the South African Republic resumed to exercise its functions in accordance with the resolution of the Volksraad of 13 December 1880; Transvaal Territory was granted self-government in accordance with the Pretoria Convention, subject to the suzerainty of the British Crown, on 8 August 1881.
- ^ Left the Republic for Europe on 10 September 1900.
References
edit- ^ McCall Theal, George (1908). "History of South Africa since September 1795" (PDF). SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO.
- ^ Annual Register for the Year 1898. Longmans, Green, and co. 1899. p. 353. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
External links
editWikimedia Commons has media related to Presidents of the South African Republic.