Josias Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Josias Philip Hoffman (1807 – 1879) was a South African (Boer
) politician
and statesman
, and was the chairman of the Provisional Government
and later the first State President
of the Orange Free State
, in office from 1854 to 1855.
in the Orange River Sovereignty
during the negotiations between Boer
s and British about the independence of the territory. He acted as chairman of the Boer
deputation in the negotiations and signed the Orange River Convention
of 23 February 1854 in that capacity.
He was first appointed chairman of the Provisional Government
(23 February – 29 March 1854) and after a short intermezzo as chairman of the Volksraad
he was first elected Acting State President
(18 April – 15 June) and eventually the first substantial State President
of the Orange Free State
.
Both Hoffman and his State Secretary J. Groenendaal
were cripples, reason for their government to quickly gain the nickname 'the crippled government'.
Hoffman's term in office was short-lived, just under one year, and ended with a political incident. As a gesture of good faith, Hoffman had given a present of a keg of gunpowder to the Basotho
king Moshoeshoe I
. His fellow burghers found this an unwise move, over-friendly and potentially dangerous for the survival of the new state. Relations between the Boers and the Basotho
were less than cordial at the time. A greater sin than the gift itself was the fact that Hoffman had tried to hide it from the Volksraad
, the Orange Free State
parliament. Hoffman was forced to retire, and did so on 10 February 1854. He was succeeded by a (temporary) Presidential Executive Commission, chaired by the influential burgher J.J. Venter.
He died on his farm ('plaas') Slootkraal, District Wepener, Orange Free State on 13 October 1879.
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
) politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, and was the chairman of the Provisional Government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
and later the first State President
Presidents of the Orange Free State
List of State Presidents of the Orange Free State-References:* -External links:...
of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
, in office from 1854 to 1855.
Career
Hoffman was one of the representatives of the Smithfield DistrictSmithfield, Free State
Smithfield is a small town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was founded in 1848 when the then Cape Colony governor, Sir Harry Smith , required a settlement north of the Orange River. Smithfield is the third oldest village in the Free State.-History:Waterval farm was the original site...
in the Orange River Sovereignty
Orange River Sovereignty
The Orange River Sovereignty was a short-lived political entity between the Orange and Vaal rivers in southern Africa. In 1854, it became the Orange Free State, and is now the Free State province of South Africa.-History:...
during the negotiations between Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
s and British about the independence of the territory. He acted as chairman of the Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
deputation in the negotiations and signed the Orange River Convention
Orange River Convention
The Orange River Convention was a convention whereby Great Britain formally recognised the independence of the Boers in the area between the Orange and Vaal rivers, which had previously been known as the Orange River Sovereignty...
of 23 February 1854 in that capacity.
He was first appointed chairman of the Provisional Government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
(23 February – 29 March 1854) and after a short intermezzo as chairman of the Volksraad
Volksraad
The Volksraad was the parliament of the former South African Republic , which existed from 1857 to 1902 in part of what is now the South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The Volksraad sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria...
he was first elected Acting State President
Presidents of the Orange Free State
List of State Presidents of the Orange Free State-References:* -External links:...
(18 April – 15 June) and eventually the first substantial State President
Presidents of the Orange Free State
List of State Presidents of the Orange Free State-References:* -External links:...
of the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
.
Both Hoffman and his State Secretary J. Groenendaal
Jacobus Groenendaal
Jacobus Groenendaal was a South African politician and statesman of Dutch origin, member of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State and the republic's first Treasurer General and Government Secretary in office from 1854 to 1855 and 1856 respectively.Groenendaal was born in Heerewaarden,...
were cripples, reason for their government to quickly gain the nickname 'the crippled government'.
Hoffman's term in office was short-lived, just under one year, and ended with a political incident. As a gesture of good faith, Hoffman had given a present of a keg of gunpowder to the Basotho
Basotho
The ancestors of the Sotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century...
king Moshoeshoe I
Moshoeshoe I
Moshoeshoe was born at Menkhoaneng in the Northern part of present-day Lesotho. He was the first son of Mokhachane, a minor chief of the Bamokoteli lineage- a branch of the Koena clan. In his early childhood, he helped his father gain power over some other smaller clans. At the age of 34...
. His fellow burghers found this an unwise move, over-friendly and potentially dangerous for the survival of the new state. Relations between the Boers and the Basotho
Basotho
The ancestors of the Sotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century...
were less than cordial at the time. A greater sin than the gift itself was the fact that Hoffman had tried to hide it from the Volksraad
Volksraad
The Volksraad was the parliament of the former South African Republic , which existed from 1857 to 1902 in part of what is now the South Africa. The body ceased to exist after the British victory in the Second Anglo-Boer War. The Volksraad sat in session in Ou Raadsaal in Church Square, Pretoria...
, the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
parliament. Hoffman was forced to retire, and did so on 10 February 1854. He was succeeded by a (temporary) Presidential Executive Commission, chaired by the influential burgher J.J. Venter.
He died on his farm ('plaas') Slootkraal, District Wepener, Orange Free State on 13 October 1879.