Paul Kruger stands alone in deserted Church Square as capital locks down

Fenced off, standing tall and elevated above Church Square in the Pretoria city centre, Paul Kruger is used to looking over thousands of people a day going about their business.

But now, as the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown bites, he sees just the odd face and dozens of pigeons.

TimesLIVE visited the usually busy spot on Thursday and found it practically deserted. Only one or two people passed by Kruger's statue, some in their work uniform.

The Paul Kruger monument has stood in Church Square since 1956 and depicts Kruger, the Boer political and military leader, and president of the South African Republic from 1883 to 1900, and four unnamed Boer soldiers.

Normally, the bronze statue looks over street vendors and tourists who linger, taking pictures of the scene.

But even the birds seemed to have lost their verve, as they were undisturbed by a TimesLIVE photographer and reporter who were moving around. They just walked — seemingly at a limp — out of the way.

They seemed on lockdown themselves, or just lonely like the big “Oom” they sometimes perch on.

A few homeless people were spotted wandering about the quiet streets.

“I am selling these earphones cheap. It is the last I have, just give me any amount you have,” said a man, desperate to offload his earphones to anyone he came across.