In a move to quash persistent rumours, the minister for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has confirmed that no name change has been authorised for the Kruger National Park (KNP).

Mpumalanga News reports that the minister strongly cautioned those propagating this misinformation and advised them to stop immediately.

George’s statement read: “I can explicitly state that there has been no change to the name of KNP under Section 20 of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003. This legal framework governs the naming and management of the country’s national parks. Also, no notice was published in the Government Gazette regarding a name alteration. The park remains legally and officially the Kruger National Park.”

He also said that there is nothing in process to change the KNP’s name and outlined the legal process. According to the act, only the minister has the legal authority to assign or amend the name of a national park.

The official list of South Africa’s national parks and their names is part of Schedule 2 of the act, with the KNP’s name appearing under Item 11. Any proposed name change should follow a formal legislative process. This would include public consultation and a notice in the Government Gazette.

“Members of the public are encouraged to rely solely on official government communications for accurate information regarding SA’s national parks and protected areas. This official confirmation should put all speculations about a name change for the world-renowned KNP to rest,” the minister said.

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