South African Republic

The South African Republic, 'Distributor of Stamps’ was a separate department from the Post Office and therefore not under the control of the Postmaster General. (For the Regulation of the Postal Department in the South African Republic - see the previous page.)

According to Gerrit H. Jonkers, quoting from the Een Zeldzaam Poststuk, Heer H. Henning, was the Distributor of Stamps during 1900, at the time of the retreat of Boer forces towards the Portuguese East Africa border. Henning wrote from Barberton on the 18^th July 1900 to the Postmaster General in Nelspruit:

'Because there were no postcards [one penny postal stationery cards] etc. taken from Pretoria, and the demand for the 1d. postcards for exterior use becomes large, I would like to propose, Sir, in order to satisfy the wishes of the public, to have some thousands (approx. 5000) of these cards to be printed at the State Printing Works.'

'I understand from the Deputy Director of the State Printers that the printing of the cards can easily be undertaken by him and will not take much time as the cards will be only printed on one side. In my opinion, 5000 of these cards should in the present circumstances of our country, be sufficient quantity for some months.'

The Postmaster General, Isaac van Alphen wrote on 26^th July 1900 (from Waterval Onder?) to the Director of the State Printing Works:

'Please have 5000 postcards printed according to the annexed model but in red ink.'

The dates quoted above are puzzling as it has been stated that the earliest datestamps recorded on two of these postal stationery cards is days earlier than the issue date. However, these may have been cancelled by favour, or the official approval was anticipated.

Printed one side only in vermillion with 'Staatsdrukkerij te velde, Machadodorp, Z.-A. R.' ('State printing office in the field, Machadodorp, South African Republic') at lower left, on a thinker board than usual. The size of these postcards is, 120mm x 91mm therefore the same height but shorter in the width than the standard size of most other postal stationery cards issued by the South African Republic.

With British forces gradually moving eastwards, a train with Presidents Kruger's special luxury coach was waiting at Eerste Fabrieken Station at the end of May. It was this train that became the temporary Volksraad headquarters and on arriving at Machadodorp the so called 'Machadodorp postcards' were printed; on this train. According to some researchers these postcards were said to have been sold at the Post Office pre-cancelled and that the unused copies were remainders; an idea I could not, at first endorse. The problem being that many of these postcards are found cancelled during August and September 1900 from the following towns with railway stations.

Barberton,
Comatiepoort,
Machadodorp,
M. W. Stroom,
Nelspruit, and
Waterval Onder.

However, Garth Kruger writes that there was '… considerable speculation in buying the cards, with one contemporary source saying the cards were in great demand and prices rose to a shilling. If you look at the cancelled cards, the cancellations are in most cases crisp and upright. Many cancelled cards never entered the post. I am sure that they were cancelled by favour'.

While the Volksraad remained at Machadodorp, the President moved on to Waterval-Onder as the climate was kinder, where he stayed at a local hotel. In the middle of June, the train was at Nelspruit, approximately halfway between Waterval-Onder and the Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) border. Later, on the 10^th September 1900 it was declared that President Kruger would have six months leave in Europe; sadly he never returned.

As we do not know the first name(s) of Heer H. Henning it is challenging to find him in later Government published Papers. The only H. Henning who received a gratuity from Transvaal Colony is recorded below.

Henning, Heinrich Car Hermann / Clerk, Pretoria / 4yrs 7mths to 1^st September 1900 / Salary £25.0s.0d. month. / Gratuity received out of Transvaal Colony funds 1909/10 of £85.18s.9d. / His postal address in 1908/9, Hamburg, Ritterstrasse 73iii, Germany.

However, the surname 'Henning' is a fairly common name, therefore additional research is required.

Acknowledgements
Garth Kruger, second draft recommendations - thank you.

The British Library of Political and Economic Science, London.

References
South African Republic Officials Pensions Commission, Pretoria: January 1909, p.8., April, 1909, p.12.

Jonkers, G.H., [and Criddle, H.], (1978), The "Machadodorp" Post Card, The Transvaal Philatelist, Vol.13, No.2, May 1978, England.

Kruger, Garth, (2024), Gustaaf Molengraaff, the Cullinan diamond and the Machadodorp postcard, The Transvaal Philatelist, Vol.59, No.2, July 2024, England, pp.13-14.

Mathews, I.B., (1986), Transvaal Philately, Cape Town, p.137.

Rhind, D., and Walker, M., (July 2003 fourth publication) Historical Railway Postcard Journeys in Southern Africa, Cape Town. pp.140-173.

Stroud, R., (1983), Further notes on the Machadodorp Postcard, The Transvaal Philatelist, Vol.18, (72), November 1983, p.80.