The Kruger National Park was proclaimed on 31 May 1926 under the newly formed National Parks Board of Trustees, which became the controlling body of the park, and reported to the Minister of Lands. However, the proclamation, was made possible and preceded by much activity: The so-called Government Game Reserve 'Gouvernements Wildtuin', was proclaimed by the South African Republic (SAR - more or less comprising current provinces of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West) on 26 March 1898. This game reserve comprised the area between the Sabie and Crocodile rivers. This was a tumultuous period in our History and less than a year later on 11 October 1899.
SAR President Paul Kruger declared war on the British Empire after it had rejected his ultimatum of 9 October 1899 to withdraw its troops massed on the borders of the SAR. The
South African War, was to last nearly two years, until 31 May 1902 when the South African and the
Free State Boer Republics lost their independence. During the last few months of the South Africa War, the Government Game Reserve was re-proclaimed by the British authority. The' Sabi Game Reserve' was proclaimed in June 1902. In 1903' the 'Shingwedzi Game Reserve' was proclaimed. This covered the Area between the Letaba and Luvuvhu Rivers. On 28 August 1903, a vast tract of the current Kruger National Park, namely that between the Sabie and Olifants rivers was added to the 'Sabi Game Reserve'. Over subsequent Years many Farms and Areas were added or removed, until the Kruger National Park proclamation, after which this again continued to take place. (or known colloquially as- KNP)
The KNP is the largest and oldest park administered by South African National Parks (SANParks). Tourism was formally conceived in 1923 when the first tourist visited the Park by train. The first overnight facilities were opened in 1928, at
Pretoriuskop, Satara and Skukuza (then known as Sabi Bridge)
In the 1950's, the emerging of Scientific researchers in the park for water. This was whilst the 1960's did bring about drought and water for game projects. In the 1990's the concept of co-operative management started to become a reality. The People and Conservation Department was formed mainly to promote community access and benefit sharing for the neighbouring communities. In the early 2000's, an agreement is signed by
Mozambique,
South Africa and
Zimbabwe; which endorses the creation of the
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, to become:" One of the greatest Conservation Area in Africa, extending over some
35 000 square kilometres."
In the mid 2000's, for the 1st time, the views and ideas from outside stakeholders are incorporated into an all-encompassing management plan as per the new protected Areas Act. The objective of this process is to establish what stakeholders regard as valuable and the qualities that make the Park a conservation community that it is so that the plan should make provision for such issues. Tourism, Cultural Heritage, Safety and Security and Environmental Education, Wilderness and Community Conservation- are some of the issues that form part of these consultations.
After 2010, SANParks adopts a vision that says “National Parks are connecting to society” and that becomes "a turning point in terms of how we as SANParks look at issues affecting the communities around us".
In the middle of 2010, a Damage Causing Animal (DCA) Protocol between the KNP and LEDET (
Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism) is reviewed in an attempt to reduce the impact of animals that cause damage in communities. Implementation of the financial compensation to the affected stakeholders starts in both
Mpumalanga and
Limpopo Provinces. To date, Corporate Social Investment is added. (CSI-Corporate Social Investment, is the practice of companies contributing to social development. Companies invest through the provision of cash, services, products, staff time and more, and work closely with other stakeholders to achieve goals across development sectors.) This is where the organization aims at; "Providing, Facilitating and renewing of Resources that can benefit the whole community. This ensures that Society is enriched with knowledge and this spreads to all citizens!". The 1st Corporate Social Investment project, in line with the organization’s vision “SANParks connecting to society”, is the handover of a
computer laboratory at Masiza High School, in
Mbula, a Village outside Phalaborwa (Limpopo). A R2, 2 million administration block handovers to
Dumisani High School at Cork, a village outside Kruger Gate
(Bushbuckridge – Mpumalanga), follows shortly. There have been more handovers of school science laboratories in communities bordering the National Parks since then.