is a small town in the foothills of the
Balele Mountains in
KwaZulu-Natal ,
South Africa .
Coal mining and
Cattle ranching are the predominant economic activities of the citizens of Utrecht.
In
1852 Voortrekker settlers traded 100 head of cattle with the
Zulu king
Mpande for grazing rights in
Zululand , but the settlers claimed the land as their own and formed the ''Republic of Utrecht'' in
1854 . The 32 km by 64 km Boer republic was named after the far larger city of
Utrecht in the
Netherlands as its capital, also called Utrecht. Given its tiny population and the Boer aversion from central authorities, it was still simply governed by a
Landdrost (magistrate).
On 8 May 1858, the republic was incorporated into the
Boer Republic Of Lydenburg .
Ultimately it was returned to the British colony of
Natal under the Anglo-Boer treaty in
1860 , together with
Vryheid and
Wakkerstroom districts.
