WATCH: Was Caxton’s resident ghost caught on camera?
Is there some truth in these stories?
It was dark and quiet in the Caxton office building, creating an atmosphere of anticipation (and maybe some apprehension) for the three people on a ghost-hunting mission.
Also read: Haunting history
To kick off the Record’s chilling new series, Historic Hauntings, it was decided to investigate the rumours about the building’s resident ghost – and maybe unearth some history.
When speaking to some of Caxton’s staff members, quite a few stories about the ghost came to light, but they all had one thing in common – everyone believes the ghost was a woman.
Roelien Vorster, the editor of the Record, has been a staff member at this building for 12 years and can recall many stories involving the ghost. “I am quite sure she does not like my music at all, as she likes to either switch off my radio, turn the volume down or just generally interfere with the reception,” she said.
Riaan van Zyl has been a journalist at the Record for five years, and admits that he was very sceptical about the whole ghost business – at first. “I have heard various stories from my colleagues about hearing footsteps in the hallway, someone washing dishes and telephones ringing, but always laughed it off. I was sure it could not be true, until I had an encounter of my own,” he said.
Johan Niemand, the IT specialist in the building, also had something to add. “I remember the one night I had to work late with a technician installing a new phone system. At one stage, he sent me to the first floor to test some of the phones, while he stayed behind in the server room. When I returned, he was very pale and just wanted to leave. I asked him what happened and he told me he had heard pages being turned and files falling, but when he looked, there was no-one,” he said with a slight smile. He also said that an former employee’s computer switched on by itself every afternoon at five, confusing them all. “This same colleague believed that there were not one, but two ghosts – a mother and a daughter – in the building and also told me that some staff members sometimes heard children laughing.
Watch the video here:
Given these stories, one of the journalists, Adéle Bloem and the editor, Roelien called in and accompanied a local psychic medium on a tour of the building to see if there was anything to be found.
Upon his arrival at the office, Josh immediately detected an energy that he found quite amusing. “I can detect the energy of a young girl, who is very playful and loves to laugh,” he said with a smile.
Watch the video here:
He then started the tour of the building, and stopped here and there to note his observations. At the end of the upstairs passage, he said that there was another female energy present, a tall woman with long hair who is the mother of the girl he detected earlier. “She is usually in the hallway and stairs, and sometimes likes to visit the kitchen and move papers around in the office section,” he said. He made quite a few observations while moving through the building.
Listen to them on the video here (watch closely from 1:35):
The Record tried to obtain information about the building’s history, but found the task quite difficult. Jonny Gonçalves, the current owner of the Witpoortjie Spar, has been a resident of the area for more than 38 years and said that he can remember a Portuguese grocery store, a dairy, a video store and a pet shop being where the Caxton building is now. “There was a hairdresser and doctor’s offices above the Spar and I am sure there were a few flats here as well,” he said. According to him, there was a ghost in the Spar’s upstairs offices when they moved into the Spar, but he cannot feel her presence anymore. “We asked her to move on, and it looks like she just went next door,” he said with a big smile.
According to another lifelong resident and business owner, Carl Pieterse – the hairdresser at Carene Studio – a lot has changed over the years. “The Portuguese shop and where the Caxton building is now, was always a single storey building – I cannot remember any flats on that side. On the corner (where Caxton is now) there was a small baker, a hairdresser called Modern Millie and a dry-cleaning business. I can recall that there was a post office somewhere here at some stage as well,” he said. He told the story of the Portuguese store owner killing his wife, but said the deed was not done at the shop, but in their house in Ham Street. “I cannot remember a story of anyone committing suicide in one of the shops either,” he said.
Listen to his account here:
Another resident, Dennis Edwards, also remembers the first homes being built in 1952 and the first commercial building being erected in 1953. “Yes, it was the building known today as Caxton. It was a single-storey building with provision for five shops and an opening for a staircase for future development. The first occupation was April 1954 and, starting at the western end of the building on Ham Street, there was a greengrocer owned by a Portuguese family, the Witpoortjie Kruideniers/ Grocers that was owned by my parents, on the corner was a café owned by a Greek man, and a butchery owned by Rassie Erasmus,” he said. He confirmed Carl’s version of the grocery store murder.
Details of what the building looked like 50 or 60 years ago, as well as whether there were any residential units, are sketchy. There are many stories and theories from staff and community members alike, but no concrete evidence to support it all. So, if you have more information, or could shed some light on the history, send an email to roodepoortrecord.co.za or leave a comment in the box below.
As a psychic/ medium Josh believes that he can communicate with people who have passed on. He said he can physically see and hear them and their spirit guides. “It sounds as if someone is whispering to me. I have to listen carefully to hear it,” he said. He believes his gift can help people to move on, and get closure about a loved one’s death, which in turn brings healing. “The negative side is that the spirit never leaves me alone.”
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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