- Zoutpansberg
Zoutpansberg was the north-eastern division of the
Transvaal ,South Africa . This was the district to whichLouis Trichardt andJan van Rensburg , the forerunners of theGreat Trek , journeyed in1835 . In1845 Hendrik Potgieter , a prominent leader of theVoortrekkers , moved there. The Zoutpansberg Boers formed a semi-independent community, and in1857 Stephanus Schoeman , their commandant-general, sided againstMarthinus Pretorius andPaul Kruger when they invaded theOrange Free State . It was not until1864 that Zoutpansberg was definitely incorporated in theSouth African Republic .Trichard and his companions had been shown
gold workings by the natives, and it was in this district in1867 -70, and in the neighbouring region ofLydenburg , that gold mines were first worked by Europeans south of the Limpopo. The white settlers in Zoutpansberg had for many years a reputation for lawlessness, and were later regarded as typical "back velt Boers". Zoutpansberg contained a larger native population than any other region of the Transvaal.It is a highly mineralized area; next to gold,
copper , found near theLimpopo River (where the Messina mine is located) is also extracted here. The chief towns arePolokwane andLeydsdorp .ee also
* Vhembe District, overlapping with this region
*Limpopo , the current province containing the regionReferences
*1911
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