State President of the South African Republic
Staatspresident van de Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek
Arms of the South African Republic
Longest serving
Paul Kruger
9 May 1883 – 31 May 1902
StyleHis Excellency
ResidenceKruger House, Pretoria (Kruger)
Formation22 October 1866
First holderMarthinus Wessel Pretorius
Final holderPaul Kruger
Abolished31 May 1902
DeputyVice State President of the South African Republic

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]

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

No. 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)

Last election

Main article: 1898 Transvaal presidential election
CandidateVotes%
Paul Kruger12,85869.08
Schalk Willem Burger3,75320.16
Piet Joubert2,00110.75
Total18,612100.00
Source: Annual Register[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ After 1862, the leader of rebel forces.
  2. ^ The office of the State President was created by constitutional amendment approved at session of the Volksraad on 22 October 1866.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Left the Republic for Europe on 10 September 1900.

References

  1. ^ McCall Theal, George (1908). "History of South Africa since September 1795" (PDF). SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO.
  2. ^ Annual Register for the Year 1898. Longmans, Green, and co. 1899. p. 353. Retrieved 28 January 2021.

External links

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Heads of Government of the South African Republic and Transvaal Colony
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