Attention Treasure Hunters….Expedition Unknown of The Travel Channel wants YOU!!

American Travel Channel is looking for treasure hunters! If you have information or ideas on where the missing Kruger Millions may be, we’d love to speak with you. Must be in South Africa presently and be interested in appearing on camera. Disclosure of specific locations can be avoided and your secrecy is safe with us. We don’t want riches- we just want to join the hunt! All serious relic hunters should email Shannon at shannon3green@gmail.com.

Note:  Although the actual amount is not material, the fate of these coins, if they were in fact produced, might very well be. At today’s prices this missing treasure is estimated to be worth in excess of $ 243,000,000.00

A Fortune in Missing Kruger Rands…..Lost Treasure

During the Second Anglo-Boer War the South African descendants of the Dutch settlers, the Boers, realised that their capital, Pretoria, would soon be captured by British troops so they swiftly commandeered as much gold as they could from government reserves, banks and the mines. They also minted many thousands of new gold coins. Much of this gold is believed to have travelled with the Boer President, Paul Kruger, as he journeyed eastwards through Middleburg, Machadadorp and Waterfal Boven towards Mozambique to escape the advancing British. He departed, by ship, for France on the 19th of October 1900. The gold remained behind, hidden somewhere in the bushveld of the North Eastern Transvaal. It has never been officially found although it is a popular ‘scam’ for con men to try and sell the whereabouts of the gold to gullible tourists. Claims that the treasure (or part of it) was discovered in 2001 close to Ermelo are generally considered somewhat dubious.
Lost: 1572
Current Estimated Value: $250,000,000.00
Contents: Gold coins, ingots, gold dust, silver ingots & coins.

Mining company in South Africa finds rare blue diamond…..

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The 25.5-carat stone was recovered by Petra Diamonds at its Cullinan mine and is expected to bring large profits.

Experts say it could be worth more than $10m (£6m), and the find gave a boost to Petra’s share price.

Similar finds in recent years from the Cullinan mine have commanded high prices and Petra, with operations in Botswana and Tanzania, is expecting a high level of interest from buyers.

“It’s very unusual for a diamond of this quality and size to come to market,” said company spokeswoman Cathy Malins.
The mine, north-east of Pretoria, has produced hundreds of large stones and is famed for its production of blue diamonds.

A similar 26.6-carat blue rough diamond discovered by the company in May 2009 was cut into a near perfect stone and fetched just under $10m at a Sotheby’s auction.

It was named the “Star of Josephine” by its new owner.

Another deep-blue diamond from Cullinan was auctioned for $10.8m last year and set a world record for the value per carat.

In 1905, the renowned Star of Africa blue diamond – the world’s second largest cut diamond – was discovered at the Cullinan mine.

The pear-shaped 530-carat stone was presented to King Edward VII and became part of the British crown jewels.

Elephant “1”, Car “0”….South Africa: Elephant overturns vehicle

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An elephant overturned a vehicle carrying two tourists, injuring both, on Monday, said South African officials.
The tourists are of “Chinese origin,” according to a statement from Kruger National Park. One of the tourists said he was from Hong Kong, according to a hospital official.
An elephant in the park attacked the vehicle on a road at 6:30 a.m. Monday, and a medical team in a helicopter rushed to help the injured male driver, said the statement. He was taken to Clinix Phalaborwa Private Hospital, near the park.
An official at the hospital said the man was in critical condition with multiple rib fractures, and that his female companion was also being treated there for a pelvis fracture. He said officials planned to transfer the pair to a hospital in the Pretoria area.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
It is unclear why the elephant became aggressive, said the park spokesman William Mabasa. He is appealing to the public to be alert in Kruger park and try not to get too close if they see an elephant approaching on the road.
The vast Kruger park lies in South Africa’s northeast, next to Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Amplats fires 12,000 South African platinum miners…….

The world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, has fired 12,000 striking South African miners after a protracted strike over wages.

Amplats said three weeks of illegal strikes by 28,000 workers in Rustenburg had cost it 39,000 ounces in output – or 700m rand ($82.3m; £51m) in revenue.

South African mining has been hit by a wave of wildcat strikes, in which miners and officials have been killed.

Some 34 South African platinum miners were shot dead by police in August.

Explaining its decision on Friday, Amplats said the miners had failed to attend disciplinary hearings and had therefore been dismissed.

Attendance levels of less than 20% meant four of the company’s mining operations in Rustenburg could not operate properly.

Employees would learn the outcome of disciplinary hearings later on Friday, and would have three days to appeal their outcome, said the company.

“Approximately 12,000 striking employees chose not to make representations, nor attend the hearings, and have therefore been dismissed in their absence.

Strike “contagion” meant operations had ceased at the Union and Amandelbult (Tumela and Dishaba) mines after workers presented memorandums of demands similar to those received in Rustenburg, added Amplats in a statement.

Gold fields eviction

The workers at the Marikana platinum mine where 34 people were shot dead returned to work after receiving pay rises far higher than the rate of inflation.

A commission of inquiry into the deaths began earlier this week.

Ten other people, including two police officers, were also killed.

Thousands of gold miners and truck drivers are also on strike in South Africa.

On Tuesday, one of the country’s leading gold mines, Gold Fields, evicted 5,000 striking employees from company dormitories, saying they were intimidating fellow workers.