Context End of the First Boer War and defeat of the British Empire and subsequent independence for the South African Republic Signed 3 August 1881 (1881-08-03) Location Pretoria, South African Republic (Negotiated in Newcastle Negotiators State President Johannes Brand Signatories Major-General Evelyn Wood
High Commissioner
J. H. de Villiers.
Paul Kruger,
Acting President
Marthinus Wessel Pretorius
Piet Joubert Parties British Empire
South African Republic | ||
The Pretoria Convention was the peace treaty that ended the First Boer War (16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881) between the Transvaal Boers and the United Kingdom. The treaty was signed in Pretoria on 3 August 1881, but was subject to ratification by the Volksraad within 3 months from the date of signature. The Volksraad first raised objections to a number of the clauses of the treaty, but did eventually ratify the version signed in Pretoria, after Britain refused any further concessions or changes to the treaty.
British preparation work for the Pretoria Convention of 1881 was done at Newcastle.
Under this agreement, the South African Republic regained self-government under nominal British suzerainty.
This Convention was superseded in 1884 by the London Convention.
Background
By the time of the Battle of Majuba, the governments of the South African Republic and the United Kingdom were in contact, President Brand of the Orange Free State acting as intermediary.