Fort Beaufort Incident: South African Police Shoot at Hovering Luminous Object
South African police fired at a luminous ball hovering near Fort Beaufort; the military was called in to investigate.
Background
On June 26, 1972, a farmer near Fort Beaufort in South Africa's Eastern Cape reported a luminous, ball-shaped object hovering above a field on his property. Local police responded, and the incident became one of the best-documented UFO encounters from the African continent.
The Incident
Bennie Smit, owner of Braeside farm, was alerted by workers who spotted a glowing object near the farm reservoir around 8:00 a.m. Concerned about potential poachers, Smit retrieved his .303 rifle and headed to the location.
When Smit arrived, he observed a glowing, egg-shaped object hovering behind trees. The object was approximately 2-3 meters in diameter and appeared to be composed of metal. Sergeant Pieter Kitching and Constable van Rensburg arrived at 9:00 a.m. and confirmed the sighting.
- The object hovered at low altitude, partially obscured by vegetation
- It displayed intelligent control, moving away when workers approached
- The craft appeared to rotate like a spinning top
The Shooting
Smit and the police officers fired fifteen rounds at the object in an attempt to bring it down. The seventh shot reportedly made contact, producing a dull thud. The object responded by:
- Rocking back and forth
- Changing color from bright white to green, then yellow
- Showing no visible signs of damage despite being struck
After approximately one hour, the object turned vertically and rose upward, eventually disappearing from view. Witnesses reported hearing a humming noise that was later heard over Smit's house.
Physical Evidence
The following day, Kitching and van Rensburg returned to the site and discovered:
- Three circular ground impressions
- Scorched vegetation
- Compressed soil at the hovering location
Brigadier Vosloo led a search team of 12 police officers across a 5-square-kilometer area but found no additional physical remains.
Witness Accounts
The incident involved seven witnesses, including:
- Bennie Smit (farm owner)
- Boer de Klerk (farm worker who first spotted the object)
- Sergeant Pieter Kitching (police officer)
- Constable van Rensburg (police officer)
- Three additional farm workers
All witnesses provided consistent descriptions of the object's appearance and behavior, though accounts of its size varied slightly. The witnesses demonstrated good credibility according to official assessments.
Investigation and Documentation
The South African Defence Force and local police conducted formal investigations. The case was documented by the South African military and later investigated by the Mutual UFO Network. Despite official inquiries, no conclusive explanation was provided for the incident.