Hendrik van Zyl

Hendrik Matthys van Zyl (van Zijl), the "Laird of Ghanzi"[1] (October 19, 1828 - June 1880) was the first Afrikaner settler in Ghanzi, Botswana. A former politician in Transvaal, he crossed the Kalahari several times and set up a small trading enterprise in Ghanzi, where was known for his flamboyant character and extravagant wealth. He gained a reputation for ruthlessness in his business dealings, and even initially refused water to the Dorsland Trekkers on their way to Angola in 1875. ,[2] He shot over 400 elephants, and the ivory from the beasts amounted to over 4 tonnes. With a vast ivory fortune, van Zyl built a two-story mansion with stained glass windows and imported furniture from France, the ruins of which still stand today.[3] His hunting prowess was so well known and remarkable in the region, it was recorded in one single day van Zyl and his sons slaughtered 103 elephants.[4] It is alleged that in the Gcwihaba cave, in northwest Botswana, van Zyl stashed a great fortune in the late 19th century.[2] To this day, he is a legendary regional figure, and many tales have been written about him.

References

  1. ↑ Main, Michael. African Adventurer's Guide to Botswana. N.p.: Struik, 2001. Print.
  2. 1 2 Lonely Planet; Alan Murphy; Anthony Ham; Trent Holden; Kate Morgan (2013-05-01). Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia. Lonely Planet. p. 213. ISBN 978-1-74321-648-4.
  3. ↑ Murphy, Alan, Anthony Ham, Trent Holden, Kate Morgan, and Matthew Firestone. Botswana & Namibia. N.p.: Lonely Planet, 2013. Print.
  4. ↑ Main, Michael. African Adventurer's Guide to Botswana. N.p.: Struik, 2001. Print.
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