UFO sightings in South Africa

This is a list of alleged sightings of unidentified flying objects or UFOs in South Africa. TOCright

1965 craft landing

* After midnight on 16 September, police constables Lockem and de Klerk observed a landed, copper-coloured craft on the Pretoria - Bronkhorstspruit freeway. It was 30ft wide and left a 6ft wide imprint on the tarmac after a rapid, fiery ascent. The incident was confirmed in a press release by Lt Colonel J.B. Brits, district commandant, Pretoria North. [cite news|last = Hall|first = Richard|title = UFOs: A New Look (NICAP 1969)|page = |publisher = Associated Press, Johannesburg|date = 1965-09-17|url =|accessdate =]

1972 craft landings

* On 27 June a landed craft was observed near Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape, which attracted the attention of the military. [cite news|last = Breytenbach|first = Willem|title = Fort Beaufort se VVV|page = 13|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 1997-06-27|url =|accessdate =] On 12 November a school headmaster seems to have arrived at the still smouldering landing site of a UFO in the town of Rosmead. [cite book|last = Spencer|first = John|coauthors =|title = World Atlas of UFOs|publisher = Hamlyn Publishing Group, London|date = 1991|pages = p. 149|isbn = ] [cite book|last = Spencer|first = John|coauthors =|title = The UFO Encyclopedia|publisher = Avon Books, New York|date = 1993|pages = p. 297|isbn = ]

1974 abduction event

* Travellers Peter and Frances MacNorman claimed an abduction event on 31 May, which would have started near Fort Victoria in the current southern Zimbabwe, and which would have continued to the vicinity of Beitbridge on the South African border. [cite book|last = Spencer|first = John|coauthors =|title = World Atlas of UFOs|publisher = Smithmark Publishers Inc.|date = 1991|pages = p. 149-150|isbn = ]

90's sightings

* On 7 April 1991, at 23:15pm a hovering triangular craft with red central light, and white star-like lights on each extremity, was observed by a family at Baviaanspoort, Pretoria. A similar craft was sighted in the nearby Eersterust township on the evenings of 8 and 9 April, either stationary or moving. [cite news|last = Correspondent|first = |title = Ma en seun sien 'n helder VVV|page = 6|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 1991-04-08|url =|accessdate =] [cite news|last =Van der Westhuizen|first = Gert|title = VVV se skynsels was soos 'n ster s'n|page = 4|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 1991-04-09|url =|accessdate =] [cite news|last =Snyman|first = Dana|title =Vreemde voorwerp vlieg wéér oor Pta|page = 4|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 1991-04-10|url =|accessdate =]

* On 18 November 1993, at 10:15pm, Messrs du Plessis and Venter, residents of Sasolburg, observed a craft arriving from the direction of Vereeniging. The craft departed in a flash in the direction of Parys, but returned some three minutes later. The craft, similar in appearance to a water droplet, was observed to change colour and shape. With time individual lights were distinguished, and the body was determined to be cigar-shaped. While contained in a yellowish to orange glow, it emitted a downward blue light, before once again departing in a flash, upwards. [cite news|last =Taylor|first =Bruce|title =Vreemde ding in lug bo SA dorp|page=4|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date=1993-11-23|url =|accessdate =] A nearby town resident claimed to have found imprints of a small craft's landing gear, some two months later. [cite news|last =Taylor|first =Bruce|title =VVV op Sasolburg|page=3|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date=1994-01-14|url =|accessdate =]

* In September and October 1994 a farmer at Warrenton claimed to have made repeated observations of a noisy, nighttime craft travelling at great speeds, besides what he described as a 'mother ship'. The craft's noise was compared to the sound of a helicopter or Volkswagen Beetle engine. The farmer's general claims were supported by four independent observers. [cite news|last =Van der Walt|first =Sarel|title =VVV's bo sy plaas klink soos 'n Volksie|page=3|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date=1994-10-13|url =|accessdate =]

* A UFO wave swept South Africa from late March to mid April 1995, which was widely reported in the media. [cite news|last= Correspondent|first= |title= Ruimtepiering land by boer|page = 1|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1995-03-31|url =|accessdate =] [cite news|last= Correspondent|first= |title= 5 Voortrekkers sien VVV op kamp|page = 9|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1995-04-06|url =|accessdate =] [cite news|last= Correspondent|first= |title= Iets vreemds hang in lug|page = 3|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1995-04-19|url =|accessdate =]

* At 4:00am on 28 August 1996 a glowing disc was sighted by sergeant Becker near the Adriaan Vlok police station, Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. The pulsating light contained a red triangle and emitted bright green tentacles, while a radar operator at Johannesburg International confirmed its presence. A chase ensued involving some 200 policemen and a police helicopter. The helicopter chase was given up at 10,000ft near Bronkhorstspruit, when the object made a vertical ascent. [cite news|last= Coetzee|first= Sandra|title= VVV vlug van Pretoria na Bronkhorstspruit |page = 1|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1996-08-29|url =|accessdate =] [cite news|last= Coetzee|first= Sandra|title= VVV by Pta bly 'n raaisel |page = 3|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1996-08-30|url =|accessdate =] An object was sighted again during the early hours of 31 August and 1 September. [cite news|last= Pienaar|first= Antoinette|title= Opgewondenheid oor VVV het nog nie gaan lê |page = 3|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1996-09-02|url =|accessdate =]

* Around the end of July 1997 a hovering, cylindrical light or shiny cloud, was filmed by Andreas Mathios in the sky above the town of Trichardt, in the current western Mpumalanga province. Besides Mathios, it was independently observed by three other persons around 6:50am. The light suddenly dropped and rose again before disappearing. Trichardt was also the scene of a sighting in 1985. [cite news|last=Henriët |first= Philna |title= 4 sien VVV wat soos sigaret lyk|page = 6|publisher=Beeld newspaper|date = 1997-08-19|url =|accessdate =]

* On 27 December 1998 the Laubscher family videotaped a group of roundish triangular craft passing over the town of Graaff Reinet, at about 25,000ft. These were changing colour and sometimes circled one another, before being overtaken by a much larger, shiny, gold-coloured craft, at which point all the objects departed to a cloud bank on the horizon. [cite book|last = Herbiet|first = Noël|coauthors =|title = ECUFOR case ref 01JLGR27128|publisher = Evaluation Center for UFO Reports|date = 1998-02-27|pages = |isbn = ]

2000 sighting

* On 8 May, at 3:24am, police inspector Kriel claimed to have observed an approaching UFO while travelling on the N3 freeway, 70km north of Warden in the eastern Free State province. The orange, oval-shaped light was fitted with two cupolas, one above and another below, and was wide enough to cover four lanes of the freeway. After a close approach the craft receded again. The report was followed by a claim that similar lights are a regular phenomenon near the town of Warden. [cite news|last = Liebenberg|first = Dries|title = Polisievrou séker sy sien vreemde lig|page = 3|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 2000-05-09|url =|accessdate =]

Probable hoaxes

1956 contactee

A well-known photo series depicting a supposed UFO, was taken on 17 July near Rosetta in the Drakensberg region. The photographer, meteorologist Elizabeth Klarer, however also claimed to have had an alien lover, Akon, who fathered her son Ayling. [cite news|last = Booyens|first = Estee|title = UFO's duik oral op|page = 7|publisher = Beeld newspaper|date = 2006-01-13|url =|accessdate =]

1989 Kalahari crash

According to supposed leaked documents an alien craft was shot down by South African aircraft, some 80 miles into Botswana, on 7 May. Two alien beings were claimed to have been captured on site. To date no primary witnesses have been traced, while the supporting documents, some obvious fakes, were all obtained from James van Greunen. Researcher Tony Dodd lent Van Greunen some credibility in Quest magazine, but other researchers were highly skeptical.cite news|last = Lindemann|first = Michael|title = Lesotho UFO crash documents - hoax suspected|page = |publisher = CNI News|date = 1997-01-16|url =|accessdate =]

1995 Lesotho crash

According to supposed leaked documents an alien craft crashed in Lesotho on 15 September. It was claimed that South African forces retrieved the craft and took three alien beings captive. The source of these documents is unknown, but is once again suspected to be James van Greunen. Failing to trace any key individuals or witnesses, researcher Michael Hesemann denounced it as 'a complete hoax'. Other researchers, though skeptical, held out hope to trace witnesses. [cite news|last = Lindemann|first = Michael|title = UFO crash in southern Africa still in question|page = |publisher = CNI News|date = 1997-05-16|url =|accessdate =]

2008 James van Greunen's Name is cleared

James van Greunen was wrongfully believed to be the the originator of an elaborate hoax concerning the Kalahari UFO Incident as well as the Lesotho UFO Incident that took place in South Africa.

New startling information came to light from both the United States Government and the United Kingdom that finally proved that James Van Greunen was indeed a Special Agent in the South African Military Intelligence Service with access to Highly classified military and UFO information. This information further proved that a possible "personal vendetta campaign" was launched against James van Greunen by the publisher and author Mr Michael Hesemann. The reason being that James van Greunen threatened to reveal confidential information about Mr Hesemann's person that would have been detrimental to Mr Hesemann's career as a respected UFO Researcher.

Tony Dodd From England found hard evidence that the Kalahari Incident did take place and that some of the mentioned witnesses were contacted. It must also be metioned that James van Greunen never attempted to defend himself, nor did he ever publically launch any counter-attack against Mr Hesemann. It is believed that Mr Hesemann was acting on behalf of his country's intelligence service to debunk both the Kalahari Incident and the Lesotho Incident and to ultimately destroy the credibility of James van Greunen. The reason being that the German Intelligence Service had an active interest / participation in both UFO Incidents.

References