REITZ, FRANCIS WILLIAM

Francis William Reitz (October 5, 1844-March 27, 1934) is not as well known a figure as Paul Kruger or M.T. Steyn. Reitz, nevertheless, made a signal contribution to the political and cultural history of South Africa, as a chief justice and president of the Orange Free State, (O.F.S.) and as the Union’s first Senate president.

PHOTO CAPTION: Reitz William. SOURCE: EAP Library

Son of a prominent Cape family, he studied at Rouwkoop in Rondebosch and the South African College in Cape Town. After finishing his general studies at the South African College, he took up law. When his primary tutor died suddenly, Reitz decided to finish his law studies at the Inner Temple, London. He was called to the Bar in June 1867, and returned to South Africa before the end of the year. The next year saw him practising as a lawyer in Cape Town.

Honest, modest and most amusing, Reitz was an extremely popular man. He represented Beaufort West in the Cape Legislative Assembly (1873-74), but in 1875 became Chief Justice of the recently established court of appeal in the Orange Free State, at the invitation of President Brand. When little more than a year later a Supreme Court was created, Reitz was named Chief Justice.

Under Reitz, the legal system in the O.F.S. was put on a sound footing. Laws were codified and revised. Despite his Cape and British  upbringing, he came to identify himself with the national aspirations of the Afrikaner, especially after the British annexation of the neighbouring South African Republics and the resultant first Anglo-Boer War of 1880-81. During this period, Reitz was chairman of the Afrikaner Bond in the O.F.S. In 1889 Reitz was elected State President of the O.F.S. as successor to Jan Brand. The Republic’s economy made further progress under him. A customs treaty was concluded with the Cape, and it was largely due to Reitz that the Cape Town-Johannesburg railway line via the O.F.S. was completed in 1892. His desire for closer ties with the sister Republic resulted in a defensive alliance with President Kruger in 1889.

As Free State President, Reitz was one of the most outspoken proponents of regulation, deculturation and subordination of the African population. He took for granted that there would be no equality of the races, and was instrumental in passing legislation prohibiting Indians to live in the Free State. He was admired for his spoken forthrightness in these matters.

Reitz also played a major part as cultural leader and national poet in a period when Afrikaans was being established as a language. In the ’70s he produced some of the first contributions in Afrikaans, his poems and rhymes covering subjects such as religion, Afrikaner nationalism and love. A product of the First Afrikaans Language Movement, Reitz continued to promote Afrikaans as a fully recognised co-language with English throughout his later life.

Ill-health compelled Reitz to resign the presidency in 1895, but, after journeying to Europe, he had recovered sufficiently to take up his legal practice again, this time in the S.A.R. In June 1898, he became State Secretary of the S.A.R. The idea of presenting Great Britain with an ultimatum originated with Reitz and J.C. Smuts. During the second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), Reitz performed his official duties with devotion. Moreover, his popular poems, poignant when dealing with the suffering of women and children in the concentration camps, and mocking when describing the enemy, were widely read. The peace agreement was a bitter blow to him. Reitz was, himself, a reluctant signatory to the treaty of Vereeniging, ending the Anglo-Boer War.

Refusing to remain in conquered territory and in need of money, Reitz departed on a lecturing tour to the U.S.A. This was a failure as interest in the war had abated. Reitz returned in 1907, and with the unification of South Africa, became the first President of the Senate (1910-19). He remained a Senator until 1929 and died in Cape Town on March 27, 1934. Reitz was married twice, in 1874 with Blanka Thesen, a Norwegian immigrant to the Cape who died in 1887, and with Cornelia Mulder in 1889. Reitz and his two wives had 13 sons and two daughters.

FRANSJOHAN PRETORIUS