Cape Town – The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment says that there has been no amendment to the name of the Kruger National Park.
Responding to reports that Google Maps now refers to the Kruger National Park (KNP) as Skukuza National Park, the department on Thursday, 23 October 2025, said: “The park remains legally and officially the Kruger National Park”.
Last month, the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Rhulani Qhibi raised the motion in Mpumalanga proposing renaming Kruger National Park to Skukuza National Park, the airport to DD Mabuza International Airport, and the stadium to Veli Mahlangu Stadium.
However, the proposed renaming of the Kruger National Park caused an uproar,
AfriForum has since stated that in place of Kruger National Park, “an incorrect entry appears as one of the top search results for ‘Skukuza’ and is linked to the official business information of SANPark.
“This creates the false impression that the park has been renamed.”
Afroforum said it was taking action to correct misleading information on Google Maps that refers to the Kruger National Park as “Skukuza National Park”.
However, clarifying the correct position regarding the name of the park on Thursday, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr. Dion George stated: “There is nothing in progress to change the name of the Kruger National Park and I certainly have no intention of approving any request”.
In terms of the Act, only the Minister has the legal authority to assign or amend the name of a national park. Schedule 2 of the Act lists all national parks and their official names, and Kruger National Park appears under Item 11.
The department said any proposed name change must follow a formal legislative process, including public consultation and publication of a notice in the Government Gazette.
“No such process has been initiated,” the department said.
The department also called on all individuals and entities to refrain from promoting or repeating unverified claims about name changes.
“Spreading misinformation undermines public confidence and distracts from the real work of conservation,” the department said.
“Members of the public are encouraged to rely solely on official government communications for accurate information.”
