Written by Naomi Keyter on 07 Junie 2025. Posted in Facebook.

Ghosts, premonitions, psychics and curses

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Ghost, curses and psychics is as old as the mountains. Some believe emotional and quick deaths have a way of creating supernatural manifestations, some say it’s just superstitions and others are sceptics. Developing my criminal records database collection, in addition to several other related projects, constitutes one of my routine endeavours for genealogical research. Amidst these tales lie the most captivating (and other) stories; though I am inclined to scepticism, I offer a few nonetheless.

The GHOST OF HESJE AND VAN NOODT

Although we in South Africa possess an extensive list of local ghosts, I found the specters of Hesje and Van Noodt particularly intriguing, they make you want to believe…

GHOST of DOUWENIS

Hesje was the spouse of van der Merwe, who sought to eliminate her in 1837 and exploited his camaraderie with the veldkornettes to conceal her murder, telling all she died of a virus; they placed their trust in him, and the records indicated natural causes. Yet, none could keep pace with the haunting specter of Hesje. As described by Napier Devitt, she manifested herself before the Magistrate, beseeching him to pursue the mystery of her death. “Magistraat doent my regt,” (let justice be done) she would whisper in the dead of night, night after night, her voice a fragile plea that echoed through the shadows. It was only when he, compelled by her relentless presence, dared to exhume her remains and delve into the silent secrets of her demise that the truth began to stir from its slumber. The discovery was nothing short of ghastly; her battered body whispered a tale of violence and despair. She had been restrained, a cruel knee pressed against her abdomen in an attempt to terminate her unborn child, prolapsing her uterus, while she was strangled and smothered—her life ebbing away in a silent, tragic final breath. Her bones and between her legs that of the baby were found, van der Merwe was taken in. He was hanged. https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/LY19-8JR

VAN NOODT

https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/index/nt00444/d9c9da8a-c864-11e6-9d8b-00505693001d?searchTerm=noodt

Back in 1727, Van Noodt was a most dreadful governor, held in terror by all who knew him. His cruelty knew no bounds; he decreed the death of several soldiers who dared to oppose him, demanding that they be hanged. After much entreaty and pleading, he reluctantly agreed to the fate of only the ring leaders. On that grievous day, four men were to hang—yet Van Noodt, cold and indifferent, remained in his office, absent from the grim spectacle. As the final prisoner was led to the scaffold, who was a scholar and a devout man of the church, and in his final moments, he cursed Van Noodt to death. Unaware that curses can sometimes wield swift power, Van Noodt was found dead in his office chair, his face twisted in terror, the curse having claimed him in an instant. Van Noodt is claimed to haunt the castle still today, shouting and swearing all around. Rumour has it a secret file exists with all he has done and he is protecting this. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Noodt-1

PREMONITIONS

The SS Warratah was a luxury vessel that journeyed from Australia 1909 and made a stop in Durban due to two police officers needing to disembark with a criminal apprehended in Australia. According to legend, there were several premonitions regarding the ship; here are two of them. Just prior to departure, the father of the chief engineer, Mr Hodder cautioned his son that this ship would capsize like a turtle in turbulent waters, but the son disregarded his father's warning. Then, as the ship approached Durban to drop of the criminal Jack McLoughlin, a man, Cloud Sawyer relaxing in his bathtub suddenly experienced a premonition that the ship would sink. He looked out the window, saw Durban Harbour, grabbed his bag, and jumped off in Durban, although he was actually intending to go to Cape Town.

The SS Warratah vanished while traveling between Durban and Cape Town. There were 211 passengers and crew members on board at the time of her disappearance. The vessel disappeared without a trace and was never located.

MYRNA JOY AKEN

Joy was murdered; she was stripped and her mutilated body stuffed into a stormwater drain under the national road south of Durban. She was murdered by Clarence Gordon van Buuren, he was convicted and hanged for this crime in 1956. He was hanged on June 10, 1957, the day before his 34th birthday. 1956 Joy was missing and only found 8 days later apparently after 2 psychics helped to find her. The first Mrs Getcliffe said she will be found by people and a dog; the second Nelson Palmer claimed she will be found by running water and took his dog, Patches with to find her with her brother…

The story of Van Buuren was authored by Chris Marnewick, who discredits the validity of these psychic claims; nonetheless, it remains an engaging narrative to recount. It makes the story more rememberable.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/GJ4W-3VF

GHOST TOWNS

Why do they call it Ghost Towns? The town has been forsaken and is presently uninhabited and desolate, it is a town that has been abandoned and is now empty and deserted, like a place where ONLY THE SPIRITS OF THE PAST REMAIN.

Several Ghost towns in South Africa retain remnants of their historical past and are renowned for their association with the once-active and bustling ghost. Many of these settlements have become largely deserted following the depletion of local mines, prompting residents to relocate elsewhere. A few notable examples include these locations.

MILLWOOD, SCHOEMANSDAL, EUREKA, PUTSONDERWATER AND LEYDSDORP are broadly believed to have a BUSY SPIRIT WORLD of its own.