Piet Retief

Piet Retief, officially known as Mkhondo, is a town nestled in the lush green Assegai Valley in the southeastern corner of Mpumalanga, South Africa. It serves as a popular stopping point for travelers heading to Swaziland or KwaZulu-Natal and the holiday resorts of Southern Mozambique and Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The town is situated on the N2 highway, approximately 100 km from neighboring towns like Vryheid and Ermelo. The area is characterized by its natural beauty, including indigenous Yellowwood and Hardwood forests, as well as extensive planted forests of Blue Gum, Pine, and Wattle. A significant natural feature nearby is the Heyshope Dam on the Assegai River, one of the largest dams in the province and the country, boasting a 120km shoreline.Mkhondo offers a variety of activities for visitors, particularly those interested in nature and outdoor pursuits. Birdwatching is popular in the southeastern area around the town. Heyshope Dam is renowned for fishing, especially for largemouth bass, but also for carp and yellowfish. Hiking enthusiasts can explore numerous trails, including the Assegai Hiking Trail through scenic mountain scenery and the Phongolo Highlands Hiking Trails, which offer multi-day routes through rolling countryside. Horse riding is another way to experience the Mpumalanga Wetlands and beautiful mountainsides. The town is also home to an Oribi Conservatory, the country's only sanctuary dedicated to protecting this antelope, and the Piet Retief Game & Bird Sanctuary, showcasing local fauna and flora, including indigenous aloe species.The town has a rich and complex history, established in 1883 and named after the Voortrekker leader Piet Retief, who was massacred by Dingane in 1838. In 2010, the town was renamed Mkhondo, after the local river, meaning 'assegai' or 'spear'. The area is steeped in Zulu, Afrikaner, and British history, with historical sites such as the Intombe Battle Fields, where Zulu forces defeated British troops, and the Voortrekker Monument, featuring imprinted ox-wagon tracks from the Great Trek. The town's most prominent landmark is the Dutch Reformed Church, designed in 1921 by Gerard Moerdyk, who also designed the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. Historically, Piet Retief was a frontier district settled by German and Scottish immigrants, and today it remains a significant center for timber and paper making.