Marthinus Wessel Pretorius

Marthinus Wessel Pretorius ( born September 17, 1819 in Graaff -Reinet, † May 19, 1901 in Potchefstroom ) was the first President of the South African Republic.

He was from 1857 to 1863 and from 1864 to 1871 President of the South African Republic, which covered the area of the later Transvaal. Between 1859 and 1863 he was also President of the Orange Free State. He founded in 1855 the city of Pretoria, which he named after his father Andries Pretorius and later became the capital of the Republic of South Africa.