Skukuza turns out to be the name of colonial enforcer

The EFF's bid to rename the Kruger National Park has backfired, leaving Mpumalanga lawmakers humiliated for agreeing to a motion that was found lacking in research.

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane

In their rush to honour a supposed black hero, legislators pushed through a motion to rename the park after "Skukuza" - only to discover the name belonged not to a liberation icon, but to a brutal colonial enforcer.

James Stevenson-Hamilton, the park's first warden, was so notorious for driving black communities off their land that locals nicknamed him Skukuza, meaning bulldozer. Far from celebrating resistance, lawmakers had effectively endorsed the very man responsible for evictions at the heart of South Africa's most famous game reserve.

The motion, introduced without notice, formed part of Heritage Day reflections.

The EFF argued that South Africans remained undermined because many heritage sites still carry the names of colonial figures such as Paul Kruger.

Members of the provincial legislature across party lines backed the call, a rare moment of unity in a chamber often defined by fiery clashes. When a motion without notice is adopted, it becomes a binding resolution. Such motions are usually reserved for urgent or broadly supported matters and must pass with unanimous consent or a strong majority.