Is Kruger Park safe? Fear rises after murder of tourists

Concerns are rising following the murder of two tourists in the Kruger National Park (KNP), putting the safety of park visitors in the spotlight.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp said SANParks was doing everything in its power to protect and ensure the safety of its visitors following the discovery of the bodies of two tourists on Friday.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba confirmed police have launched a manhunt for suspects.

The bodies were discovered near Crooks Corner at the intersection of the Levubu and Limpopo Rivers in the KNP. The victims have been identified as Ernst and Dina Marais. They booked into the camp on Sunday last week, and were found dead on Friday. The pair was last seen on Wednesday last week at the Pafuri picnic site.

“A search operation was launched after they failed to return,” Mashaba said. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear at this stage, he added.

The police have opened two counts of murder and hijacking for further investigation.

Kruger Park murders unprecedented

SANParks spokesperson JP Louw said management learned with shock of the discovery of the bodies of two tourists in the north of the KNP on Friday. Louw described this incident as unprecedented in the more than two-million-hectare park that shares a combined 374km border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

“No similar occurrence has yet been recorded in its 100-year history,” he said.

The South African Police Service senior management had visited the next of kin of the deceased pair to extend condolences, Louw said.

“The family said the couple were long-standing, deeply committed visitors to Kruger.

“They were regular guests who strictly adhered to park rules and would never have placed themselves at risk by exiting their vehicle where it was prohibited,” he added.

Louw said law enforcement officials in KNP confirmed that gate security cameras showed the missing car did not exit through any of the nine access gates or the two international border posts into Mozambique.

“In the vicinity of the crime scene, KNP rangers followed what they believed to be the tyre tracks of the missing vehicle.

“The tracks point to a vehicle driven through the bush over the fence and into Mozambique. ”

Late on Sunday, the SABC reported that KNP spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said preliminary investigations confirmed the vehicle belonging to the deceased couple exited the country through the Mozambican fence.

Louw said a search operation was launched on Thursday evening, after camp staff noticed the tourists had not returned to camp.

“The search continued on Friday, leading to the gruesome discovery of two bodies near a river by other tourists.

“Rangers were alerted and it was also established the vehicle the tourists had been travelling in was missing from the scene.”

Louw said KNP will assist the family with transport to Limpopo, as well as accommodation and repatriation costs.

Concerns about safety of Kruger Park visitors

AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for community safety Jacques Broodryk said visitors urgently require clarity and transparency regarding the circumstances surrounding this violent incident.

“AfriForum extends its condolences to the loved ones of the two tourists who tragically lost their lives in the northern part of the Kruger National Park.

“We call on the authorities to treat the investigation as a matter of national importance.

“This has sent shockwaves across the country and raises serious concerns about the safety of visitors to this world-renowned heritage site,” Broodryk said.

“The safety of all people in SA, including tourists and visitors to national heritage sites, is a matter of national importance.

“AfriForum urges the authorities to use all available resources to establish the facts of the case and bring those responsible to justice.”