Fort Beaufort shooting incident
- Date
- 26 Jun 1971
- Place
- Braeside farm near Fort Beaufort, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Unexplained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
Farmer Bennie (Bernardus) Smit of Braeside reported an object, described as a fireball that changed colour, hovering near his farm in the morning; he and local police fired rifle shots at it, about fifteen by one account, without effect. Rumours that the Grahamstown regiment investigated produced no records. The story was carried by the international press and the town's businesses traded on it. Sources give the date as 26 June 1971 or place it in 1972, as the start of a South African wave.
What officials concluded
No conclusion stated
No official explanation has been given.
Strongest ordinary reading
none established
Evidence profile
Sensors1 of 9
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
Witnessescount not stated
- Yes: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- No: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- Yes: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
ShapeOrb or sphere
- No: Light only
- Yes: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
Effectsnone reported
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- Wikipedia: UFO sightings in South Africaen.wikipedia.org
On the map
32.78° S, 26.63° E, plotted at the town or city
Show on the map