The Structure or Nature of the Government under Dutch rule/ DElCO at the Cape Colony

The Structure or Nature of the Government under Dutch rule/ DElCO at the Cape Colony

The Cape Colony was under the Dutch East India Company (DElCO). A Council of 17 Dutch headed the Company, which was responsible for the administration of the territory.

According to the Charter of the Company, the appointment of civil and military officers was one of its principal responsibilities.

The Company consisted of four major organizations with the purpose of promoting Company interests. These included;

THE COUNCIL OF POLICY

THE COUNCIL OF JUSTICE.

THE DEFENCE COUNCIU COUNCIL OF WAR,

THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH

The Council of Policy

From 1672 until 1974, the Cape Colony was under an official with the title Governor. The Governor was the Chairman of the Council of Policy. This Council was composed of Company officials who were in charge of governing all the people to the Colony.

Members of the Council of Policy made laws for the Colony. The settlers were not represented on this Council but at limes they protested against this injustice, for instance, the Dutch settlers protested against Governor Van Der Stel's corrupt tendencies, which led to his dismissal in 1707.

The Council of Policy and its officials controlled the administration of the Colony. The Council of Policy acted as a legislative body. It made laws of the Colony, but had its own shortcomings.

The Governor and the Council were responsible to the main directors of the DElCO in Holland.

The colonists or settlers were not represented which led to discontency, corrupt officials administered the colony and Company officials were, ineffective because of their large numbers especially 1769 to 1794 when it increased from 1,645 to 2, 093.

The Council of Justice

This was responsible for the administration of Justice in the Colony.

This Council was appointed by the Council of Policy and therefore it was not an independent judicial body. It acted as the main Court of Appeal. However, it also had its own weaknesses.

Its members sat in Cape Town and were appointed by the Council of Policy.

The Council of Justice did not work as expected due to the fact that the Judges were not qualified and in most cases they only served the interests of the Colony.

Its only concern was to promote Company interests than the settlers and thus no Justice prevailed. It was managed by unqualified and inefficient Judges.

The Defense Council or the Council of War

For the purpose of defense, the Council of War was established. This was due to the need to defend the Colony against attacks from outside and from within the sub-continent.

It took serious defense measures along the coastal areas. On the Council were important military officials. Burghers or Boer farmer citizens and militias in the interior of the colony were also represented. The Burgher militias were usually between the ages 16 and 60.

The Defense Council also had weaknesses. It left the settlers in the interior unprotected and had to organize their own security measures for instance they formed Burgher militia or/ Commando units.

These Commando units harassed the Africans and this led to continued hostility with the local Africans.

The Dutch Reformed Church (DRC)

It played an important social and political role in the Cape Colony for instance;

It acted as a political agent of the Dutch East India Company that is it appointed leaders in various Churches. Biblically it approved the Dutch settler claim of racial superiority over the Africans.

The Dutch settlers claimed that they were a chosen race by God, superior and leaders while Africans were an inferior race, cursed and supposed to work for them and not in any way allowed to own any property and resources .

The Church was responsible for promoting education of the Dutch settlers at the expense of the Africans/ natives.

It acted as a unifying factor of the isolated Dutch settler communities, that is created a sense of belonging, a point of reference all the time and identification as a race.

The Church advocated for the Afrikaner language, norms, ways of life, religion, culture and this marked the beginning of Afrikaner nationalism and the Policy of Apartheid in South Africa.

Despite its weaknesses, the Company extended its political control to various parts of the Cape Colony. However, its political control lessened as the distance from the Cape increased further inland.

The number of officials employed to run affairs of the Cape Colony went on increasing and in 1662, there were 120 officials. The number rose to 1,016 in 1732, then to 1,645 in 1764 and to 2,093 by 1794.

From 1795 onwards, the Dutch East India Company (DElCO) administration declined due to revolts in towns like Graaf Reinet and Stellens Bosch.