South Africa’s Kruger National Park faces controversial name change

The Kruger National Park, which attracts nearly a million visitors annually, was named in 1926 after Paul Kruger, the 19th-century president of the South African Republic and a prominent figure in Afrikaner history.

However, for many South Africans, Kruger’s legacy is deeply divisive. He is often associated with policies that displaced black communities and excluded them from political participation, making the proposal to rename the park a highly sensitive issue.

The proposed renaming of Kruger National Park by discontented South African political figures has reignited a national debate over historical memory, cultural identity, and the country’s economic future.

The park, home to elephants, lions, leopards, hippos, and other wildlife, remains one of South Africa’s most prized tourism assets. It attracts hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors each year, generating crucial revenue for surrounding communities and contributing significantly to the national economy.

However, critics warn that altering its name could harm this vital sector, which plays a major role in job creation and rural development.

Part of the park lies in Mpumalanga province, where the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) recently tabled a proposal during Heritage Month to rename the park.

“How do we celebrate our heritage as South Africans when we still have our beautiful national parks named after the architect of apartheid Paul Kruger,” EFF representative Rhulani Qhibi said.

According to the BBC, the party also called for renaming Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. In a controversial move, they suggested “Skukuza” The nickname of the park’s first warden, James Stevenson-Hamilton, who expelled poachers and black communities during the park’s early years.

“We are still engaging with the land claimants at Kruger National Park and the people who were staying there because they said Skukuza is not the right name. He was the man who kicked them out of the park,” EFF Mpumalanga leader Collen Sedibe told Sunday World.

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Afrikaner lobby group AfriForum, which described it as “cheap politics and proof that political power-hunger in the province outweighs informed or responsible decision-making.”

“The Kruger National Park was created thanks to Kruger’s vision [and] to ignore Kruger’s contribution to the establishment of the country’s most important national park… is opportunistic and blatantly spreading lies,” AfriForum spokesperson Marais de Vaal said.

Despite public backlash, the Mpumalanga provincial legislature adopted the motion with support from the African National Congress (ANC) and uMkhonto weSizwe.

Although the decision is not legally binding, critics warn that it could have unintended economic consequences for South Africa’s tourism sector, which contributes nearly nine percent to the country’s GDP.

Tourism expert Professor Elmarie Slabbert cautioned that renaming the park could have a lasting impact on its global reputation and economic performance.

“It might even dilute the international recognition of this park and South Africa as a tourism destination that we’ve built over so many years,” she said.

While acknowledging the importance of honouring indigenous heritage, she added: “The effect on the economy is going to be so significant that we need to decide where we spend our money. We’ve got such a high unemployment rate at this point in time that I believe that is where the money should go.

The controversy surrounding Kruger National Park highlights the ongoing tension in South Africa between re-evaluating historical symbols and protecting economic interests.

Renaming initiatives have become common in the post-apartheid era, with places such as Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Qonce (formerly King William’s Town), and OR Tambo International Airport (formerly Jan Smuts Airport) undergoing similar changes.

For many, the debate over Kruger is about more than just a name. It reflects South Africa’s broader challenge, how to honour its complex past while safeguarding the industries that sustain its future.