SKUKUZA – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) feels the name of the iconic Kruger National Park (KNP), must change.

Political analysts have taken the leader of the EFF, Mr Julius Malema, to task about these statements. “He is always looking for any knee-jerk reaction from the public and talks about random issues. Whatever he says is more to get back at the government as it is to get back at the people of the country,” says Mr Tim du Plessis, former editor of Rapport and City Press.

Another political analyst, Mr Theo Venter of the North West University, agrees with Du Plessis. “There is a kind of contrast in the meaning of the statements made by Malema. After these statements, the white people are angry, but believe me that the ANC is even angrier. Actually, nothing will come of this as the ANC feels it needs to teach Malema and the EFF a lesson and show them who is in charge.”

Venter told Lowvelder that he also remembered that the late Peter Mokaba said something similar about a name change for the KNP during 2007, which led to a big furore about the economic value of the game reserve as a tourist destination. At the time, Mokaba said Paul Kruger was a racist politician and that the foundation of apartheid came from him. The EFF repeated this and was also calling for monuments from Gen Louis Botha to Queen Victoria to be demolished.

Changing the name of Kruger may not be that easy. According to Venter, the title of the park is included in the title deed, preserving it as the title of a specific piece of land. “At the time of the Peter Mokaba furore, there was an investigation about the procedure that would have to be followed if the government agreed to a name change. It was proved that a name change could only take place if the park was sold. At the time there were also pieces of land next to KNP that were earmarked for selling to SANParks. It couldn’t because the boundaries were strictly mentioned in the title deed.”

SANParks spokesman Mr Isaac Phaahla said, “Why should we be answering this question? We have more serious issues of conservation to deal with. Please refer the question to the politicians.”

National spokesman for the EFF, Mr Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi, told Lowvelder that they stood by what their leader had said, “That is just the beginning. We will wipe the register of all the old monuments clean, from Cape Town to Musina, just watch us.”

In the meantime, Statistics South Africa reported a

13 per cent decrease in overseas tourist arrivals in the country and the year-to-date figures are down with 10 per cent. The biggest decline is in tourists from China and India, showing a respective

28 and 25 per cent downward trend.

The number of visitors from the United Kingdom, United States of America and even Brazil had declined. It was only arrivals from France that was marginally up.