Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal

Province

Utrecht is a city in the foothills of Balele Mountains in KwaZulu -Natal, South Africa. Its main industries are coal mining and livestock farming. She was from 1854 to 1858 the capital of the Boer republic of the same name. 2011, it had 5,290 inhabitants.

History

1852 exchanged Voortrekker settlers 100 head of cattle at the Zulu King Mpande for mining rights in Zululand. However, the settlers claimed already in 1854 the property rights over land and founded the Republic of Utrecht. The 32 km by 64 km wide Boer Republic was named as its capital after the much larger city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Due to its small population and the Afrikaner aversion to central governments it was ruled by a Landdrost ( magistrate ).

On 8 May 1858, the Republic was integrated into the Republic of Lydenburg, and together with her in 1860 in the South African Republic ( ZAR ).

Finally, the area was incorporated under the Anglo- Boer agreement of 31 May 1902, the British colony of Natal, together with the Vryheid areas.