Who put the iron cross that has stood for years at Amanzimtoti Main Beach’s Nyoni Rocks?

The 60cm cross has been there for over 20 years, and it continues to generate mystery as no one seems to know who put it there and for what reason. No one also seems to know the exact year it was installed.

ALSO READ: Missing man found dead at Inyoni Rocks

On Saturday 8, Lester Naidu, who is a fisherman, had come to spend some time admiring the waves as he cannot fish because the water is contaminated. Asked about the cross, he said he has heard many stories over the years, and they keep changing.

“I have been fishing here since 2010, and this cross was already here. The most famous story I have heard is that an old fisherman fell into the water while fishing and was swept away by waves, never to be found again. His family, I’m told, came and installed this cross,” said Naidu.

Over the years, its base has been battered by waves and eaten by rust. Some high-powered machinery might have been used to drill the hard rock and install it. Naidu said another story he has heard was of a boy who was visiting with his parents and drowned near the rocks.

On the We Love Amanzimtoti Facebook page, Jaco van Staden recently posted the picture of the cross, with the caption, “[I] don’t know who passed here. May he/she rest in peace.” In response to the post, several people gave their versions of what they have heard about why the cross is there.

Just like Naidu, Ian Siddall said a local fisherman washed off the rocks many years ago. Anita Mynhardt even provided the said fisherman’s name. “If I remember correctly, his name was Christopher,” said Mynhardt.
In another Facebook group, the Amanzimtoti Trader, Victoria Jane Mostert said the name of the person who drowned was Victor. “His friends put the cross there with his name on it,” she said.
On the same page, one user said the person who drowned was a young boy, and the incident happened in the 1980s.

The SUN could not get a definite answer from a credible source about the history of the cross; even Ward 97 councillor André Beetge said he had no idea.  As things stand, the mystery of the Nyoni Rocks cross remains unsolved.

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