Mystery surrounds cave in gardens

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens is a natural gem of Roodepoort, which attracts many visitors. However, the botanical gardens still holds a few mysterious wonders.

Widely unknown to the public, a cave is situated behind the large rock faces of the waterfall in the gardens. The cave has been common knowledge to the management of Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, but it was not regularly visited because of the where the cave is situated. Assistant curator of the gardens, Andrew Hankey and mine historian, Rod Kruger, investigated the mine last year.

At first the cave was believed to be a mine that would date back to the gold mining era. The concrete platforms, tracks and rusty bolts around the cave’s mouth helped construct this theory. Alas, the mine was found to just be a natural cave and the platforms and other structures could have been part of an old foofy slide that existed before the area became a botanical garden.

Walter Sisulu does not have the means to clean out the cave, which receives a dose of litter brought in by storm water. However, this is not a new problem as storm water, and in some cases a sewage leak can filter into the water of the waterfall.

“There are no other caves that we are aware of except some small crevices in the mountains were jackal may hide,” added Hankey.

It is still a mystery as to what the structures around the cave were used for or if there are any other undiscovered caves on the property. Although the general public is unable to access the cave, one now knows a little more of what lies behind the rocks that surround the waterfall.

Details: Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, 086 100 1278.

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