The British office of high commissioner for Southern Africa was responsible for governing British possessions in Southern Africa, latterly the protectorates of Basutoland (now Lesotho), the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana) and Swaziland (now Eswatini), as well as for relations with autonomous governments in the area.
The office was combined with that of Governor of Cape Colony from 1847 to 1901, with that of the governor of Transvaal Colony 1901 to 1910, and with that of Governor-General of South Africa from 1910 to 1931. The British government appointed the Governor-General as High Commissioner under a separate commission. In addition to responsibility for Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland, he held reserve powers concerning the interests of the native population of Southern Rhodesia.See Whitakers Almanack, 1928 The post was abolished on 1 August 1964.
List of officeholders NameBeganEndedSir Henry Pottinger27 January 18471 December 1847Sir Harry Smith1 December 184731 March 1852George Cathcart31 March 185226 May 1854Charles Henry Darling (acting)26 May 18545 December 1854Sir George Edward Grey5 December 185415 August 1861Robert Henry Wynyard (acting)15 August 186115 January 1862Sir Philip Wodehouse15 January 186220 May 1870Charles Craufurd Hay (acting)20 May 187031 December 1870Sir Henry Barkly31 December 187031 March 1877Sir Bartle Frere31 March 187715 September 1880Henry Hugh Clifford (acting)15 September 188027 September 1880Sir George Strahan (acting)27 September 188022 January 1881Sir Hercules Robinson22 January 18811 May 1889Henry Augustus Smyth (acting)1 May 188913 December 1889Sir Henry Brougham Loch13 December 188930 May 1895Sir Hercules Robinson (from 1896, the Lord Rosmead)30 May 189521 April 1897William Goodenough (acting)21 April 18975 May 1897Sir Alfred Milner5 May 1897May 1905William Palmer, 2nd Earl of SelborneMay 190531 May 1910Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson (acting, in the absence of Lord Selborne)19091909Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone31 May 19108 September 1914Sydney Buxton, 1st Earl Buxton8 September 191417 July 1920Beresford Cecil Molyneux Carter (acting High Commissioner only with Sir James Rose Innes acting Governor General from 17 July 1920)3 September 192020 November 1920Prince Arthur of Connaught20 November 19205 December 1923Rudolph Bentinck (acting High Commissioner only with Sir James Rose Innes acting Governor General from 5 December 1923)10 December 192321 January 1924Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone21 January 192426 January 1931George Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon26 January 19316 April 1931Sir Herbert Stanley6 April 19316 January 1935Sir William Henry Clark7 January 19353 January 1940Sir Edward John Harding3 January 19403 January 1941Sir Walter Huggard (acting)3 January 194124 May 1941William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech24 May 194113 May 1944Harold Eddey Priestman (acting)13 May 194423 June 1944Sir Walter Huggard (acting)23 June 194427 October 1944Sir Evelyn Baring27 October 19441 October 1951Sir John Le Rougetel2 October 19512 February 1955Sir Percivale Liesching4 March 1955December 1958Sir John Maud15 January 19591963Sir Hugh Southern Stephenson196331 July 1964
The high commission territories
The high commissioner was responsible for governing the following territories, in each case represented by a resident commissioner:
Basutoland, gained independence as Lesotho on 4 October 1966 Bechuanaland Protectorate, gained independence as Botswana on 30 September 1966 Swaziland, gained independence on 6 September 1968 (now Eswatini)
See also List of high commissioners of the United Kingdom to South Africa Governor of Hong Kong - post held by two High Commissioners for Southern Africa
References
Further reading Spence, John Edward. "British policy towards the High Commission territories." Journal of modern African studies 2.2 (1964): 221-246. Torrance, David E. "Britain, South Africa, and the high commission territories: an old controversy revisited." Historical Journal 41.3 (1998): 751-772. online