Piet Retief (town)

Piet Retief
Typical colonial building in central Piet Retief
Piet Retief Show map of Mpumalanga Piet Retief Show map of South Africa Piet Retief Show map of Africa  Piet Retief shown within Mpumalanga
Coordinates: 27°0′S 30°48′E / 27.000°S 30.800°E / -27.000; 30.800Coordinates: 27°0′S 30°48′E / 27.000°S 30.800°E / -27.000; 30.800
Country	South Africa
Province	Mpumalanga
District	Gert Sibande
Municipality	Mkhondo
Established	1882
Area
• Total	66.00 km2 (25.48 sq mi)
Elevation	1,251 m (4,104 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	57,428
• Density	870/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	88.2%
• Coloured	1.3%
• Indian/Asian	2.1%
• White	8.0%
• Other	0.4%
First languages (2011)
• Zulu	82.8%
• Afrikaans	7.8%
• English	5.0%
• Other	4.4%
Postal code (street)	2380
PO box	2380
Area code	017

Piet Retief is a town situated in a timber growing region in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It is the seat of the Mkhondo Local Municipality. It is located not far from the Swaziland border.

The town was founded by the Voortrekkers in 1883 and named it after the Voortrekker leader, Piet Retief, who was killed by the Zulus under their King Dingane's orders after he tried to settle on their land.

In 1886, the inhabitants of the town declared the Klein Vrystaat (Little Free State), which contained a population of only 72. This republic existed until 1891, when it was incorporated into the South African Republic.

The town became a municipality in 1932. Its main tourist attraction is the Dutch Reformed Church that was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk and built in 1921.

The area has an annual rainfall of 1000 mm. Its main economic activities are timber, paper and wattle bark production as well as mica, kaolin and iron mining.

On 2 February 2010, South African Arts and Culture minister Lulu Xingwana approved a state decision for Piet Retief to be renamed to eMkhondo. Like many other post-apartheid name changes in South Africa, the incident remains controversial. Most residents are uncertain what the new name means, and have argued that "Piet Retief" did not evoke widespread public offence, as did Verwoerdburg. Prominent Afrikaner groups, including the Freedom Front Plus, have promised to contest the change.