Republic of Swellendam

The Republic of Swellendam was founded in 1795 with the dissatisfaction towards the Dutch East India Company caused the burghers of Swellendam to revolt, and on 17 June 1795 they declared themselves a republic. Hermanus Steyn was appointed as President of the Republic of Swellendam. The burghers of Swellendam started to call themselves "national burghers" – after the style of the French Revolution. However, the Republic was short-lived and was ended on 4 November 1795 when the Cape was occupied by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

History
The Republic of Swellendam came into existence when on 17 and 18 June 1795, around sixty Cape citizens under the leadership of Petrus Delport occupied the drostdy and forced the magistrate of Swellendam, Anthonie Faure and his officials to resign. Hermanus Steyn d'Jonge is elected as president. The incident took place a few months after Marthinus Prinsloo established an acting government in the Colony of Graaff-Reinet on 4 February 1795. The rebellion and self-government was motivated by unhappiness with tax payments to the company and the ban on the registration of Khoikhoi children on farms. Although a national magistrate was appointed and the national convention served as government, the government was recognized in the Free Republic of the Netherlands and there was no intention to establish a republic.

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