Simon Van der Stel (1679-1699)

Simon Van der Stel (1679-1699)

He was the first Governor of the Colony from 1691 to 1699.
His father Adraan Van der Stel had been the Governor of Mauritius.
He reached the Cape in October 1679 abroad the Vrge Zee ship.
He immediately succeeded Hendrick Crudorp as Commander of the Cape settlement.
His administration was moved on by the Council of Policy. He tried to solve the problems of the Colony.
The Cape Colony was expanded in 1680 with the vallage (later town) of Cape Town and Stellens bosch. Stellens Bosch (Stel's bush) was run by the Court of Heemraden. It soon became a district by August 1682. He encouraged many migrants to come at the Cape.
The Cape under his administration emerged from a calling station to a Colony. Many Colonists (white settlers) were also allowed at the Cape and beyond.
In 1684 he established a model school in the district of Stellensbosch. Many settlers were given large tracts of land at the Cape.
Officials of the DElCO were allowed to resign and became freelance settlers in the Colony.
Under his administration, over 200 French Protestants/ Huguenots were encouraged to settle at the Cape. They introduced new modem farming methods.
He recruited orphans girls from Holland as wives for the Colonists at the Cape.
By 1688, the population in the Colony had reached over 1.441.
A Landdrost for the District of Stellensbosch was set up by 1685.
A residence for the Magistrate in Stellensbosch was built and a Church.
By 1700 the-Cape Colony was sufficient in food production.
The Cape settlement had also expanded in its frontiers - other settlers were German Lutherans or French Calvinists.
Due to his good work at the Cape Colony in 1691 he was promoted to the post of Governor of the Cape up to 1699. In 1699 he retired and was succeeded by his son Willem Adriaan Van der Stel,
Despite his good work he registered some failures;
Many Africans/ black people were enslaved
The colonists (white settlers) were forced to speak the Dutch language.
The Colonists were forced to obey the laws of the DElCO.
He believed the Dutch were a superior people to other settlers.
Food prices went down as the settlers suffered.
The Company monopolized and restricted settlers in the sale of their products (wheat, wine, meat).
Corrupt tendencies were seen in the award of license and contracts to traders.
Women were discriminated in administration.
He promoted his son Willem Van der Stel to juicy posts of administration.
In 1699 he encouraged him to be appointed Governor of the Cape Colony.
Company staff where employed on his private ventures. He acquired large land estates as a personal fortune.
By 1706 his relatives and friends owned one third (1/3) of the total farming area in the Cape Colony.
He also broke many laws and rules and regulations of the Company, for example owning large stock of com, wine, land and other resources through corruption and embezzlement.
By 1707, he had become so unpopular that the Company removed (terminated) him as Governor of the Cape Colony, and forbade other officials from owning private property.
The care taker administrator appointed was Secunde d’ Ableig in 1707.