his black beard and hair) Uys. He initially settled in the area between the present-day towns of Wakkerstroom and Utrecht. Source: Historian, Richard Mdvumowencwala Patricks, Senior Research Officer: Swaziland National Museum, Lobamba. Economy Sheep and cattle farming are the primary industries. Proposed coal mining in the area has raised concerns due to the environmental sensitivity of the region. Environment With the Balele Mountains to the south, the area surrounding the town is mountainous with kloofs, mountain springs, vlei areas, dams, conservation and heritage sites. It is internationally renowned as a "birder's paradise". Due to the high occurrence of high priority wetlands and the proximity to the sources of three rivers, the Vaal, Tugela (via Buffalo tributary) and Pongola, it was declared a National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area. It is also a protected area under the Protected Areas Act, which means that mining is generally not allowed. The Yzermyn project of Uthaka Energy (Pty) Ltd, a coal-mining company, was put on hold in 2021, after a coalition of civil society organisations objected to mining in one of South Africa's critical water source areas. Sources Erasmus, B.P.J. (1995). Op Pad in Suid-Afrika. New York: Jonathan Ball. Rosenthal, Eric (1967). Ensiklopedie van Suidelike Afrika. London: Frederick Warne. References External links Wakkerstroom Home Page Populated places in the Pixley ka Seme Local Municipality Populated places established in 1859 1859 establishments in South Africa