Louis Trichardt

Louis Trichardt or Makhado is a town at the foot of the Soutpansberg mountain range in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is named after the voortrekker leader Louis Tregardt. It is the centre of the Makhado Local Municipality, which comprises 16,000 km² with a total population of 270,000 . Louis Trichardt is located in a fertile region where litchis, bananas, mangoes and nuts are produced. The national road N1 runs through the town. Louis Trichardt is 437 kilometres from Johannesburg and one hour's drive from the Zimbabwean border at Beitbridge. Louis Trichardt was formerly known as Makhado, but it was changed back to Makhado. But now many people use the one name or the other.Louis Trichardt also known as Makhado because the apartheid leaders didn't want the name Makhado because it was the name of the warrior and chief Makhado.Vleifontein, Elim, Tshikota, Madombidzha, Makhado Park and Dzanani surrounds the town at all directions. The mayor of the town is F.D. Mutavhatsindi.HistoryLike many other towns in South Africa, Louis Trichardt had its origins in Voortrekker settlement of the area. Two groups of Trekkers reached the Soutpansberg mountain range in 1836, one under the leadership of Louis Tregardt (born near Oudtshoorn, South Africa, 10 August 1783) and another under Hans van Rensburg. Van Rensburg decided to lead his group to Sofala (near current Beira), Mozambique, but his entire party was killed en route.