Western Cape Premier Unfazed By 'Ghosts' at Leeuwenhof

Reports that Premier Lynne Brown asked a priest to deal with ghosts at Leeuwenhof, her official residence, are misleading, she said on Friday.

Brown said reports in the tabloid the Daily Voice made it appear she was scared of the ghosts and had asked a priest to pray.

In fact, Brown said, she had mentioned to a group of religious leaders that Leeuwenhof was haunted and they had spontaneously decided to pray for the spirits to rest.

She said the ghosts were part of the charm of the stately manor and they had not frightened her. But she had experienced a presence from time to time.

"I'd been told about the spirits' presence before I took up residence. I was nervous at first but have gotten used to it."

Over the years various former premiers, including Marthinus van Schalkwyk and Ebrahim Rasool, have spoken about the ghosts, which legend has it have been haunting the house for centuries.

Judge Sir John Kotze was a young man when he saw the ghost of a woman in an upstairs passage. Dressed in white, she had brown hair and blue eyes. The haunting is said to focus on a teak staircase, carved by Chinese craftsmen. Sometimes, the ghost is holding a baby.

The ghosts were researched by AJB De Klerk for his book The History of Leeuwenhof.

In the early days of the Cape Dutch settlement, a fiscal had a lovely daughter who fell in love with a young sea captain. Her parents disapproved and they decided to elope. The night before the ship was to sail, the fiscal heard of their plan and had the captain arrested on a trumped-up piracy charge. The young man was sent to Holland, where he was tried, sentenced and executed. The heartbroken girl refused to eat and wasted away. Legend has it she is the ghost.

Would you like to discuss or comment on this posting? Go to Phantoms and Monsters Wiki and become a member of this unique network. Start a page on this subject or add your input to an existing page or thread. Daily blog updates are posted at Twitter. Signup today!

Looking For A Great Gift Idea?

Have you had a close encounter or witnessed something unusual? Send us an email

Please help support
'Phantoms and Monsters'
Thanks!