SANParks has confirmed that it has not directly contacted Petrus Janse van Rensburg, the man at the centre of viral videos reportedly showing reckless driving inside the Kruger National Park (KNP), but said legal processes are under way.

KNP general manager for communications Rey Thakhuli said the matter was being handled by SANParks’ legal team and warned that Janse van Rensburg would not escape punishment.

“We have all his contact details and we know where to find him, but we want to deal with him in the right way. We are not going to just let this matter go,” said Thakhuli.

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“I can assure people that he is not going unpunished for what he has done. We are not going to call him because we have nothing to say to him. Instead, our legal team will handle the matter and they are in the process of doing that. Once they have finalised the matter, we will make it public. The main plan is to teach him to respect the park’s rules and abide by them.”

The videos, which circulated widely on social media, appear to show Janse van Rensburg driving recklessly in the park, crossing a damaged bridge and exiting his vehicle in restricted areas.

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The footage sparked outrage among conservationists and visitors who accused him of disrespecting park regulations and endangering wildlife.

Thakhuli stressed that reckless driving and irresponsible behaviour would not be tolerated in the park.

“The park is for people to enjoy the wild while respecting animals and nature. What Janse van Rensburg did was unnecessary and arrogant, and he needs to be punished for that,” he said.

Following widespread backlash online, Janse van Rensburg released an apology video acknowledging criticism and promising to show greater respect for national parks in the future.

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He later released another video, stating that SANParks never contacted him after the videos went viral.

“My Instagram is public, my car registration is visible and I gave my cellphone number at the gate, but none of them called me or asked me to account for what happened,” he said.

He also defended his actions, saying he had allegedly emailed park officials before visiting to ask whether his small Mercedes-Benz sports car would be suitable for use in the reserve but received no response.

Janse van Rensburg further denied speeding allegations, insisting there was “no evidence” proving he exceeded the speed limit.

He said he only exited the vehicle after it became stuck and claimed he was inspecting the water depth before attempting to drive through it.