the Dutch system of district administration, under landdrosts appointed by
the central government and heemraden and veldkornets drawn from the
farming population.
By 1834, the powers of the veldkornets had been
curtailed, and the landdrosts and heemraden had been replaced by magis-
trates without local affiliations. In place of the amateur (and sometimes
corrupt) bench of Dutch officials, moreover, the government appointed
qualified lawyers from Britain to the Court of Justice and introduced
British legal procedures.
There were also cultural changes. The government continued to support
the Dutch Reformed church but asserted supervision over it. Moreover,
although English was a foreign language for the Afrikaner population, by
the 183os it alone was authorized for use in government offices, law courts,
and public schools.
It was in this changing institutional and cultural environment that Af-
rikaners experienced the dislocations that were inevitable short-term con-
sequences of emancipation.
Initially, many newly emancipated Khoikhoi
and slaves left the farms, hoping to enjoy their freedom. Some crowded into
the mission stations, others squatted on Crown lands or moved to the
towns and villages, and for a time, many roamed the countryside, trying to