Barend Jacobus Vorster
Vorster Coat Of Arms
Barend Jacobus Vorster (the younger) born on 26th May 1858 at Kalkbank, Pietersburg district and died on the 17 April 1933 a politician and farmer, was a son of Comdt B. J. Vorster, of Soutpansberg. To distinguish him from his father he was usually called ‘Klein Barend’ (‘Little Barend’) or, as he limped, ‘Kreupel Barend’ (‘Cripple Barend’). As a young man he, about 1875, helped the Rev. Stephanus Hofmeyr with mission work in Soutpansberg, and considered becoming a missionary.
Vorster was influential in his area, and in 1890 took part in the organization of the Adendorff trek across the Limpopo to Banyailand. He was the chairman of the committee appointed to organize the trek in the Soutpansberg district, and a member of the expedition that reached a land agreement with a number of Banyai chiefs. In the following year attempts to trek were prohibited by the Transvaal republic for diplomatic reasons, and Vorster lost support, partly because he was accused of negotiations with Cecil Rhodes. He thus withdrew from the expedition.
In 1889 he represented Soutpansberg in the volksraad. When the Tweede (‘Second’) Volksraad was established he became a member in 1891, and from 1897 a member of the Eerste (‘First’) Volksraad.
At the outbreak of the Second Anglo-Boer War the government made V. its native commissioner at Spelonken, north-east of Pietersburg, where he was also confidential adviser to Gen. F. A. Grobler. When Grobler left the northern area V. was appointed chief commandant of Soutpansberg. As an official he was considered ambitious and haughty.
In the Pietersburg district he farmed at Doornkasteel and then at Zaaiplaats. He married twice, first Johanna Wilhelmina Christina Mulder and then a widow, Johanna Petronella Smit. He was survived by four sons and three daughters. There are portraits in the album collection of the National Museum of Cultural History, Pretoria, and in Lig in Soutpansberg.