Dissecting the myth: Paul Kruger and the Kruger National Park

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South‐Africans generally assume that the Kruger National Park was called after Paul Kruger, the president of the Transvaal Republic, in order to commemorate his personal interest in nature conservation, and in particular his struggle against considerable opposition to found the national park which now bears his name. This version of conservation history is officially accepted by the National Parks Board and presented also in the available popular literature. In this paper the accuracy of this link between Paul Kruger and the Kruger National Park is examined closely and found to be entirely inaccurate. An analysis of contemporary sources demonstrates that Kruger lagged behind public opinion (both in the Transvaal and internationally) on wildlife conservation and had to be forced into establishing the Sabi Game Reserve. The argument is presented that the connection between the Kruger and national parks has been deliberately fomented to serve Afrikaner Nationalist political purposes. Chief among these have been the advancement of republican and apartheid ideology, the denigration of Britain, a need for international respectability and the promotion of Afrikaner scientists. It is contended that constructing the myth of Paul Kruger to create an Afrikaner culture in the Kruger National Park has positioned the park firmly with the white, Afrikaner Nationalist arena. This has important implications for the future of national parks in the changing political circumstances of South Africa.