The ''Volksraad of the South African Republic'' (English: "People's Council" of the South African Republic, ) was the

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

of the former

South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...

(ZAR), it existed from 1840 to 1877, and from 1881 to 1902 in part of what is now

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The body ceased to exist after the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

's victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The ''Volksraad'' sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria.

Unicameral body

In 1840, at the beginning of the

Natalia Republic The Natalia Republic was a short-lived Boer republic founded in 1839 after a Voortrekker victory against the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River. The area was previously named ''Natália'' by Portuguese sailors, due to its discovery on Christm ...

, an adjunct ''Volksraad'' was created in

Potchefstroom Potchefstroom ( ; ), colloquially known as Potch, is an college town, academic city in the North West (South African province), North West Province of South Africa. It hosts the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Potchefstro ...

for settlers west of the

Drakensberg The Drakensberg (Zulu language, Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho language, Sotho: Maloti, Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, Southern Africa, Great Escarpment, which encloses the central South Africa#Geography, Sout ...

. The Potchefstroom ''Volksraad'' continued despite the British annexation of the Natalia Republic in 1843. It eventually passed the Thirty-three Articles, the precursor to the 1858 constitution (''Grondwet''), in 1849. In 1858 the ''Grondwet'' permanently established the ''Volksraad'' as the supreme authority of the nation. Volksraad was initially a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

body. It consisted of three members for each of the districts of

Lydenburg Lydenburg, also known as Mashishing, is a town in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, on the Mpumalanga highveld, South Africa. It is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Lepelle River at the summit of the Long Tom Pass. It h ...

Rustenburg Rustenburg (; , Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''City of Rest'') is a town at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West (South African province), North West province, South Africa (549 ...

, Zoutpansberg,

Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...

, Wakkerstroom,

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

, Middelburg,

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, Waterberg, Marico, and

Bloemhof Bloemhof is an agricultural town of about 2,000 inhabitants situated on the banks of the Vaal River in North West Province of South Africa. History It was founded in August 1864 when diamonds were discovered in the area. The town was establish ...

, 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. 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

Initially a

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 Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

industry — a say in local affairs, in order to fend off British complaints.''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. 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''". This was the highest authority in charge of state policy, with preference being given to fully franchised burghers for appointment to government posts. The members of the First Volkraad were elected for four years. First Volksraad members had to be born in the state. The Second Volksraad, of the Uitlanders, was allegedly without power.

Chairmen of the Volksraad 1844–1890

The chairmen of the unicameral Volksraad (''Voorzitter van den Volksraad''). * J. D. Van Coller, 1844 * Casper Jan Hendrik Kruger, 1 Aug 1845 - 8 Oct 1845 * Johannes Gerhardus Stephanus Bronkhorst, 11 Dec 1845 - 11 Dec 1845 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 20 Jan 1846 - 22 Jan 1846 * Andries Hendrik Potgieter, 27 Jan 1846 - 27 Jan 1846 * Johannes Gerhardus Stephanus Bronkhorst, 28 Feb 1846 - 28 Feb 1846 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 17 Mar 1846 - 19 Mar 1846 * Andries Hendrik Potgieter, 13 Apr 1846 - 16 May 1846 * Johannes Gerhardus Stephanus Bronkhorst, 8 Jun 1846 - 8 Jun 1846 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 1 Sep 1846 - 1 Sep 1846 * Joachim Prinsloo, 5 Nov 1846 - 5 Nov 1846 * Johannes Christiaan Klopper, 10 Dec 1846 - 10 Feb 1847 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 12 Mar 1847 - 12 Mar 1847 * Johannes Christiaan Klopper, 16 Mar 1847 - 16 Mar 1847 * Jan Frans Schutte, 29 Apr 1847 - 29 Apr 1847 * Johannes Christiaan Klopper, 5 May 1847 - 5 May 1847 * Joachim Prinsloo, 14 May 1847 - 14 May 1847 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 17 Jun 1847 - 17 Jun 1847 * Johannes van Renseburg, 21 Jun 1847 - 21 Jun 1847 * Louw Erasmus, 3 Nov 1847 - 4 Nov 1847 * Jan Frans Schutte, 15 Dec 1847 - 16 Dec 1847 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 4 Apr 1848 - 21 Apr 1848 * Jacob de Clercq, 7 Mar 1849 - 8 Mar 1849 * Andries Wilhelmus Jacobus Pretorius, 23 May 1849 - 25 May 1849 * Jacob de Clercq, 19 Sep 1849 - 19 Sep 1849 * Piet Ernst Kruger, 6 Dec 1849 - 12 Dec 1849 * WC Swart, 22 Jan 1850 - 30 Jan 1850 * Willem Hendrik Jacobsz, 26 May 1850 - 24 Aug 1850 * Cornelis Potgieter, 10 Sep 1850 - 16 Oct 1850 * Petrus Frans Jacobus Pretorius, 10 Dec 1850 - 10 Dec 1850 * Cornelis Potgieter, 15 Jan 1851 - 15 Feb 1851 * Willem Hendrik Jacobsz, 5 May 1851 - 9 May 1851 * JNH Grobler, 11 Jun 1851 - 11 Jun 1851 * Johannes Christoffel Steyn, 5 Jul 1851 - 5 Jul 1851 * Cornelis Potgieter, 1 Sep 1851 - 3 Sep 1851 * Willem Hendrik Jacobsz, 27 Nov 1851 - 29 Nov 1851 * Joachim Prinsloo, 12 Feb 1852 - 12 Feb 1852 * Pieter Ernst Kruger, 14 Feb 1852 - 14 Feb 1852 * Cornelis Potgieter, 17 Mar 1852 - 20 Mar 1852 * Cornelis Potgieter, 5 May 1852 - 6 May 1852 * Andreas Theodorus Spies, 6 May 1852 - 6 May 1852 * C Viljoen, 7 May 1852 - 7 May 1852 * Cornelis Potgieter, 15 Jun 1852 - 12 Jul 1852 * Joachim Prinsloo, 4 Oct 1852 - 4 Oct 1852 * Cornelis Potgieter, 15 Nov 1852 - 15 Nov 1852 * Joachim Prinsloo, 20 Nov 1852 - 20 Nov 1852 * Cornelis Potgieter, 14 Mar 1853 - 22 Jun 1853 * Henricus Albertus Pretorius, 9 Aug 1853 - 13 Aug 1853 * Cornelis Potgieter, 19 Sep 1853 - 10 Apr 1854 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 7 Jun 1854 - 15 Jun 1854 * Cornelis Potgieter, 16 Oct 1854 - 5 Jul 1855 * Henricus Albertus Pretorius, 10 Sep 1855 - 18 Sep 1855 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 5 Nov 1855 - 20 Nov 1855 * Cornelis Potgieter, 27 Nov 1855 - 27 Nov 1855 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 4 Mar 1856 - 11 Mar 1856 * Hendrik Teodor Bührmann, 11 Mar 1856 - 11 Mar 1856 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 27 May 1856 - 30 May 1856 * JP Furstenberg, 5 Jan 1857 - 6 Jan 1857 * Johannes Hermanus Grobler, 1857-? *, ?-1858-? * Maurits de Vries, 1867 * Maurits de Vries, 1872-1873 * Petrus Jacobus Joubert, 1873-1875 * Cornelis Johannes Bodenstein, 1875-1877 *''British annexation as

Transvaal Colony The Transvaal Colony () was the name used to refer to the Transvaal region during the period of direct British rule and military occupation between the end of the Second Boer War in 1902 when the South African Republic was dissolved, and the ...

'' 1877-1880 * Cornelis Johannes Bodenstein, 1880-1884 * R. J. Smit, ?-1885-? * J. J. Hoffman, ?-1886-? * B. A. Kloppers, ?-1887-? * W. J. Jacobs, ?-1890-?

Chairmen of the First Volksraad 1890–1902

The chairmen of the First Volksraad (''Voorzitter van den Eersten Volksraad''). * Frederik Gerhardus Hendrik Wolmarans, 1890-1891 * P. A. Klopper, ?-1891-? * Jacobus Marthinus Malan, ?-1894-? *

Schalk Willem Burger Schalk Willem Burger (6 September 1852 – 5 December 1918) was a South African military leader, lawyer, politician, and statesman who was acting president of the South African Republic from 1900 to 1902, whilst Paul Kruger was in exile.Na ...

, 1895-1896 * T. N. de Villiers, ?-1897-? * Frederik Gerhardus Hendrik Wolmarans, 1898-1899 * Lucas Johannes Meyer, 1899-1900-?

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-? * Nicolaas Samuel Malherbe, ?-1894-1898-?

References

{{National unicameral legislatures

Defunct unicameral legislatures Defunct organisations based in South Africa 1857 establishments in South Africa 1902 disestablishments in South Africa