For more than a century, whispers of hidden gold have drifted through the valleys around Krugersdorp. Some say a secret Boer War treasure still lies beneath the Witpoortjie waterfall, waiting to be unearthed. HOT 1027 News delved back into the shadows of the story, with Al Prodgers tracing its haunting origins.

The tale begins during the Second Anglo-Boer War, when a ZAR police constable allegedly stole five gold bars from the Transvaal State Treasury. He claimed to have buried them near the falls, even sketching a map. His relatives dismissed it as fantasy, but the seed of a story was planted.

Later, another version emerged—this time of a mine manager fleeing British troops with stolen bullion. According to legend, he killed his accomplice to keep the secret and buried the gold beneath the Witpoortjie waterfall. The war claimed his life before he could return.

Treasure hunters, lured by the promise of fortune, dug deep beneath the waterfall for decades. Some even rigged pumps to drain water from the trench. They never found any gleaming bars—but unearthed something far more macabre: a human femur. Was it the accomplice’s remains? The truth has never been confirmed.

The Witpoortjie Waterfall: Treasure Legends and Enduring Mysteries

Today, that same cascade forms the centrepiece of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, a popular sanctuary for Joburgers. But long before it became a family picnic spot and the nesting place of rare Verreaux’s eagles, it was a site of fevered treasure hunts and whispered legends.

The Witpoortjie mystery sits alongside South Africa’s most famous tale of hidden treasure: the Kruger Millions, believed to be a massive cache of gold, coins, and diamonds spirited away as the British advanced on Pretoria in 1900 (read more).

From the Lowveld to the Witwatersrand, countless expeditions have searched in vain, but the legends remain part of the cultural fabric.

For 125 years, the Witpoortjie waterfall has guarded its secrets. Perhaps the gold is still there—or perhaps the story itself is the real treasure, a reminder of South Africa’s turbulent history and its enduring appetite for mystery.

Listen to storyteller Al Prodgers’ report for HOT 1027 News below: