Paul Kruger Statue
The statue of Paul Kruger at Kruger gate was erected in September 1970. Paul Kruger (1825 – 1904), his full names being Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, was a prominent Boer leader and the president of the then South African Republic (Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. He became a symbol of Afrikaner nationalism for leading resistance against the British in South Africa. He was born on October 10, 1825, in the then British Cape Colony which is part of today’s South Africa.
His family took part in the Great Trek (1830s – 1840s), migrating north to escape British rule. He became a skilled hunter, farmer, and military leader among the Boers (Dutch-descended settlers). He fought in the First Boer War (1880–1881) against the British, leading to Transvaal’s regained independence. He was elected president of the South African Republic (Transvaal) in 1883 and re-elected multiple times. He died in Clarens, Switzerland, on July 14, 1904, and his body was later repatriated to South Africa and buried in Pretoria. The Kruger National Park is named after him.
His statue at Kruger Gate was unveiled by then Minister of Agriculture Hendrik Schoeman on 16 September 1976.
GPS Waypoints: 24°58'51.21"S 31°29'1.18"E