Southern Africa Unexplained

Case · UFO Afrinews No 22, July 2000

Mystery Metal Balls Fall on South African Soil

2000 · Durbanville, and a farm in Worcester, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

What was reported

Two heavy round metal balls, roughly 30 kg and 50 kg, fell in the Western Cape on 27 April 2000, one at Durbanville outside Cape Town and one on a farm at Worcester. Witnesses said they were white-hot on landing and left impressions about 20 cm deep. Workers on Peter Viljoen's farm heard two loud reports like gunshots before the ball landed and waited half an hour for it to cool before approaching. The Department of Civil Aviation asked the police to look into the falls; Police Superintendent Andre Kellerman said the objects were collected and statements taken on Sunday 30 April. NASA reportedly suggested they came from the decaying Pegasus satellite pending examination. Hind complains that NASA treats such falls lightly with no early warning for the public.

What Hind made of it

Hind accepts the satellite-debris explanation but criticises NASA for treating the matter lightly and asks why there is no early warning of satellite break-ups.

Explanation offered
debris from the decaying satellite Pegasus (NASA, unconfirmed)

In their words

  • what if the balls had fallen on a Kindergarten playground?

    Cynthia Hind, spread 07

Cross references

  • BBC News, Monday 1 May 2000
  • SAPA, 1 May 2000
  • earlier CCCP metal ball in the Cape

Source

Cynthia Hind, UFO Afrinews No 22 (July 2000), spread 07

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