Search for Kanongat secrets

Deep at the bottom of a hole in the Olifants River might lie the long-lost secret of a name.

The name is "Kanongat" and for a long time it has been applied to a pool not far from where the river empties into Loskop Dam, in Mpumalanga.

Lore has it that the dark pool got its name because Boer commandos sank their cannons into it to prevent them falling into the hands of the pursuing British.

But in a couple of months the mystery of Kanongat might be solved when a team of divers descends to the bottom of the pool.

Corine de Jonge, of the Middelburg Historical Interest Group, said a fisherman found the remains of a rifle at Kanongat.

The rifle is believed to be a Martini-Henry, which was used by the Boers during the Anglo Boer War. This find revealed that there was military activity at the spot during the Anglo Boer War.

Members of the interest group helped explore the pool last month using a dinghy, a fish-finder and weighted rope.

"We found that the pool is mostly about 28m deep but falls off sharply to about 30m," said De Jonge.

They also discovered just how dangerous a dive would be. De Jonge said there is a whirlpool created by the rushing water and divers would have to fight underwater currents.

The plan is to dive in September when the water level is at its lowest of the year.

Anglo Boer War expert Louis Changuion said: "There were a lot of rumours and myths that led to a lot of wild-goose chases."

He said there were Boer artillery pieces that have never been found.