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The Fourth Raadsaal (
Free State Legislature - Fourth Raadsaal
{{coord, -29.11575, 26.21798, format=dms, type:landmark_region:ZA, display=title Buildings and structures in Bloemfontein Former seats of national legislatures Legislative buildings Afrikaans words and phrases
The Fourth Raadsaal (Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
: "Vierde Raadsaal") is a historic building in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State (province), Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legisla ...
, South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, which serves as the meeting place of the Free State Provincial Legislature
The Free State Provincial Legislature is the primary legislative body of the South African province of Free State. It is unicameral in its composition, and elects the premier and the executive council from among the members of the leading party ...
, the legislature of the Free State. It is located opposite the Supreme Court of Appeal in President Brand Street.
In the early 1880s, it was resolved to build a new presidency office and chamber council. The designs for both buildings were awarded to Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
-based Lennox Canning. The new presidency office was completed in 1886, yet work on the chamber council had not begun until 1889 when a tender of £27,183.10 was accepted by another Johannesburg-based architect, TR Robertson. State President of the Orange Free State Francis William Reitz
Francis William Reitz, Jr. (Swellendam, 5 October 1844 – Cape Town, 27 March 1934) was a South African lawyer, politician, statesman, publicist, and poet who was a member of parliament of the Cape Colony, Chief Justice and fifth State Presi ...
laid the foundation stone on 27 June 1890. Due to construction issues, another tender of £12,500 was awarded to JJ Kirkness. The new building was formally inaugurated on 5 June 1893 when the members walked from the old chamber to the new one. A further £4,000 were spent on internal furnishings over the following years.
In March 1900, British forces occupied Bloemfontein and the building became a military hospital. Most of the furnishings were acquired and are now in private homes. The Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Unio ...
became the legitimate government in 1907. The colony had a two-chamber legislature consisting of a council and a legislative assembly. The lower council continued to meet in the Raadsaal, while a separate building facing Aliwal Street housed the upper house. In 1910, the Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...
, was formed and the Raadsaal housed the provincial council. The chamber and its rooms were occupied by the Appeal Court until its own premises was ultimately built in 1929.
After the first non-racial elections in 1994, a decision was taken to house the newly-established provincial legislature in the building.
References
External links
Free State Legislature - Fourth Raadsaal
{{coord, -29.11575, 26.21798, format=dms, type:landmark_region:ZA, display=title Buildings and structures in Bloemfontein Former seats of national legislatures Legislative buildings Afrikaans words and phrases