Volksraad (South African Republic)

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Template:Short description Template:Use South African English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox legislature The Volksraad of the South African Republic (English: "People's Council" of the South African Republic, Template:Langx) was the parliament of the former South African Republic (ZAR), it existed from 1840<ref name="Pratt">Template:Cite book</ref> to 1877,<ref name="Eybers">Template:Cite book</ref> and from 1881 to 1902Template:Sfn 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.<ref>Transvaal: The Golden Province, C. van Rensburg Publications, 1992, page 34</ref>

Unicameral body

In 1840, at the beginning of the Natalia Republic, an adjunct Volksraad was created in Potchefstroom for settlers west of the Drakensberg.<ref name="Pratt"/> The Potchefstroom Volksraad continued despite the British annexation of the Natalia Republic in 1843.Template:Sfn It eventually passed the Thirty-three Articles, the precursor to the 1858 constitution (Grondwet), in 1849.Template:Sfn In 1858 the Grondwet permanently established the Volksraad as the supreme authority of the nation. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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.<ref name="McCall">Template:Cite bookTemplate:PD-notice</ref>

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.<ref name="McCall" />

Bicameral body

The Volksraad receiving President Paul Kruger 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.<ref name="Giliomee">The Afrikaners: Biography of a People, Hermann Giliomee, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2003, page 238</ref>

From 1890 the Volksraad consisted of two houses of 24 members each.Template:Sfn 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".<ref>The Anglo-Boer War: a Chronology, Pieter Gerhardus Cloete, J.P. van der Walt, 2000, page 13</ref> This was the highest authority in charge of state policy, with preference being given to fully franchised burghers for appointment to government posts.<ref>Judge and be Judged, Adrienne E. Van Blerk, Juta & Company, 1988, page 113</ref>

The members of the First Volkraad were elected for four years.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> First Volksraad members had to be born in the state.

The Second Volksraad, of the Uitlanders, was allegedly without power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Chairmen of the Volksraad 1844–1890

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

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Chairmen of the First Volksraad 1890–1902

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

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Chairmen of the Second Volksraad 1890–1902

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

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References

Template:Reflist Template:National unicameral legislatures

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