Google fixes KNP map

MISCHIEF: CONFIRMS KRUGER NATIONAL PARK REMAINS RESERVE'S NAME » Only minister of the environment can make changes.

- Marizka Coetzer & Faizel Patel

Mischief-makers may be behind the renaming of Kruger National Park on Google Maps to Skukuza National Park.

The search engine has been vague about what happened but its Maps function allows users to suggest changes... and this may have been what happened.

Google South Africa spokesperson Siya Madikane said Google has now “protected” the listing on Google Maps for the Kruger National Park feature and updated relevant teams to take the necessary action for now.

“Legally, only the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment can change a national park’s name and no such change has been gazetted for Kruger,” Madikane said.

The Citizen went onto Google Maps after the row last week over the name change and tried to again insert the name “Skukuza National Park” on the geographical location of the Skukuza rest camp in Kruger.

Google allows edits to be made to its maps but claims these are vetted by the search engine’s staff. Despite repeated requests for more information on exactly what happened, Google did not respond.