opgaaf, noun

/ˈɔpxɑːf/
Forms:
offgaft, opgaaffShow more Also offgaft, opgaaff, opgaf, opgaff, opgraaf, oppgaaf.
Origin:
DutchShow more Dutch, statement, account.
historical
1. An annual return or account of livestock, produce, and land under cultivation, introduced at the Cape in 1796 for the purposes of taxation; the documents submitted for this return. Also attributive.
1800 in Stat. Law of Cape of G.H. (1862) p.lviiOrder of Opgaaf or return of the inhabitants and the stock or property in their possession.
1800 G. Yonge in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1898) III. 67A considerable time has elapsed since an Opgaaf or Return has been given in to Government by the Inhabitants of this Colony of the Property and Stock they possess.
1806 Cape Town Gaz. in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1899) V. 443These lists are to be shewn at the yearly opgaaf to the Landdrosts and Heemraden.
1806 J. Barrow Trav. II. 26According to an account of the stock, produce and land under cultivation, which every man is obliged annually to give in to the police officers, and which is called Opgaff list, it appears that..not one fifteenth part of the surface is under any kind of tillage.
1811 J.G. Cuyler in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1901) VIII. 29I have the honour to transmit a copy of their opgaff taken last week, which will show all these people have left.
1823 W.W. Bird State of Cape of G.H. 317The wine-growers shall be allowed to sell their wine and brandy on their estates, by small measure,..provided they report the same to the landdrost of the district to which they belong..at the time of making their opgaaf.
1826 R. Bourke in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1905) XXVII. 76I propose..that five shillings each be charged for Hottentots, Mantatees and others employed on farms under contract or apprenticeship from the age now usually returned in the opgaaf rolls, males above 16 and females above 20 years of age.
1843 R.M. Martin Hist. of Colonies of Brit. Empire (1967) 477The first authentic account of the state of the colony is furnished by the Oppgaff or tax lists for 1798.
1884 Cape Law Jrnl I. 318No survey was required for fixing the Ordonnanties, nor were the terms of the tenure reduced to written grants, the grants being merely registered in an ‘Opgaaf Boek’.
1968 E.A. Walker Hist. of Sn Afr. 77The annual opgaaf of the burghers’ produce became more unreliable than ever.
2. The property-tax calculated from the annual opgaaf return.
1816 G. Barker Journal. 12 Apr.Br U— set out this morning to go to Grahams-town to pay the peoples opgaaf a sum of 337 Rds.
1827 Reports of Commissioners upon Finances at Cape of G.H. II. 58From the extension of the colony by the occupation of new lands, and the necessity that hence arose of forming district establishments, another class of taxes was imposed on the inhabitants...These taxes, under the name of ‘opgaaf,’ have been assessed upon the property of the inhabitants.
1827 G. Thompson in Davenport & Hunt Right to Land (1974) 7The occupation is considered sufficient for all the purposes of Government, if he pays his quit-rent, and is enabled..to keep a greater stock, and pay a larger opgraaf.
1829 C. Rose Four Yrs in Sn Afr. 258I would tell the people of England that the opgaaf, a tax on produce, pressed very heavily on the boors.
1831 S. Afr. Almanack & Dir. 152The first Opgaaf taken in the district..amounted to 1,027 guilders.
1838 J.E. Alexander Exped. into Int. I. 67The manner in which the opgaaf in this district is collected is most objectionable and oppressive...All the heads of families, white men, Bastaards, or free Hottentots, are obliged to go to Clanwilliam personally, in the month of April..with the amount of their opgaaf [printed opgaap], whether it be thirty dollars or five.
1839 J. Collett Accounts. II. 26 Mar.Rode to Beaufort & paid Offgaft.
1844 J. Backhouse Narr. of Visit 584A Hottentot..accompanied us as far as Clan William, whither he was going to pay the Opgaaf, Taxes, for himself and a few others.
1857 F.W. Reitz in Cape Monthly Mag. II. Oct. 197Not many years ago the very same process was gone through with the acknowledged object of levying an opgaaf on every sheep and head of cattle.
a1862 J. Ayliff Jrnl of ‘Harry Hastings’ (1963) 27Once a year the ‘Myneer’ goes to the town to pay what they call ‘opgaaf’, but he don’t care a fig about that.
1876 T. Stubbs Reminiscences. 11There was a tax called Op Gaaf, which had to be paid every year.
1885 L.H. Meurant 60 Yrs AgoThe Chief Clerk of the Civil Commissioners travelled usually in an ox-wagon to collect the ‘opgaaf’ (taxes).
1936 Cambridge Hist. of Brit. Empire VIII. 280Institutions..were liable..to taxation (the opgaaf).
1982 A.P. Brink Chain of Voices 165At first there was the opgaaf, the tax on slaves.
1982 A.P. Brink Chain of Voices 310When there are new proclamations on grazing licences or the Opgaaf or regulations on slaves I’m instructed by Landdrost Trappes to spread the news through the district.
3. transferred sense. Any tax.
1871 J. Mackenzie Ten Yrs N. of Orange River 59Both the Bechuanas and the Basutos who preferred to remain in Griqua-land were protected in the enjoyment of their property on the payment of the same ‘opgaaf’ or tax which was paid by the other inhabitants of the country.
1943 I. Frack S. Afr. Doctor 67An alarming number of natives fall foul of some infringement of the tax laws. This ‘opgaf’ is to my mind extremely unfair.
1970 M. Dikobe Marabi Dance. 108My grandfather was also very rich, but he went to Kimberley to work for white people because some white men came to our village and arrested men, young and old, for opgaf — poll-tax.
An annual return or account of livestock, produce, and land under cultivation, introduced at the Cape in 1796 for the purposes of taxation; the documents submitted for this return. Also attributive.
The property-tax calculated from the annual opgaaf return.
Any tax.
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