Page 30 - Fourways Gardens August Issue 2023

Lifestyle

IN SEARCH OF THE KRUGER

MILLIONS

Tales of hidden treasure are always enthralling and the legend
of the Kruger Millions is a mystery that refuses to die

B Y SIAN CLARK

Old Pretoria

Church Street, Pretoria

Church Square in the 1920s Boer Kommando
T he mystery of South Africa’s Kruger Kruger was a very popular president at the Pretoria today. Overlooking one entire side of

Church Square, Die Ou Raadsaal is considered
time; by 1900 he had already served four
gold millions has continued to
intrigue
hunters
treasure
to be the chief architectural wonder of
terms. He lived in Church Street with his wife,
for
more than a century. While the
now a museum well worth visiting.
occasional Kruger pound has allegedly Gezina. The house is still there today and is Pretoria. The foundation stone was laid by
Kruger in 1889.
been found, many die-hard treasure hunters
are still scouring the area around Blyde Let’s set the scene: Die Ou Raadsaal was home to the parliament
River in the former Eastern Transvaal (now Pretoria was a lively little town in 1900. It had of the South African Republic from 1891 to
Mpumalanga), believing that this is where a cosmopolitan population because people 1902. It would have been a short carriage ride
President Paul Kruger must have stashed it had come to find gold and when they didn’t from Kruger’s home, situated a few blocks
before making his way to Europe. find any, they moved into town and started away. In his Raadsaal office, Kruger would
businesses. be updated regularly on the movements of
The legend goes back to the year 1900, British forces in the Anglo-Boer War.
when the Anglo-Boer War being fought Many shops and official South African
by the British against the Boer Republic buildings such as the Post Office sprung It is in this central area of Pretoria that the
of South Africa was in full swing. The war, up around Church Square. There was also government Mint was based, and it’s here
spearheaded by British field marshal a bank owned by the Dutch called Die that the gold bullion and coins making up the
Frederick Sleigh Roberts, was over the British Nederlandsche Bank. Today, it is Nedbank. so-called “Kruger Millions” was said to have
influence in Southern Africa. However, at the originated.
heart of the conflict was the battle for control The government architect was a Dutchman
of the world’s richest gold deposits: the called Sytze Wierda. His incredible buildings In May 1900, the battle had progressed to
Witwatersrand goldfields and the diamonds – The Palace of Justice and Die Ou Raadsaal just outside Pretoria. As a precaution, the
in the Orange Free State. (Council Chambers) – are still standing tall in Transvaal government decided to move

Fourways Gardens • 28 • August 2023