Environment Minister Willie Aucamp has urged tourists to keep visiting the Kruger National Park, following a murder there last week.

• Environment Minister Willie Aucamp has urged tourists to keep visiting the Kruger National Park, following two murders there last week.
• Ernst and Dina Marais’ bodies were found floating in a river near Crooks’ Corner, in the far northeastern section of the park, after they had been stabbed.
• Aucamp said that crime is an isolated, first-in-100-years incident.

“If people stay away from the Kruger National Park, [criminals] will have carte blanche to go in and do what they want – poach our rhinos and kill our elephants and lions. We can’t allow that.”

Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp has urged nature lovers to continue visiting the park, following the murder of a couple there. He said the murders are the first in 100 years and classified the crime as “an isolated incident”.

Ernst Marais, 71, and his wife, Dina, 73, nature enthusiasts from the Western Cape town of Mossel Bay, were found brutally murdered near Crooks’ Corner in the far northern section of the Kruger National Park last week.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. This is terrible,” said Aucamp.

“It is important to state that this is the first time in 100 years that something like this has happened. Now, one time is one time too many, and we’ve got to make sure that the safety of our visitors is one of our top priorities. We’ve got various technological systems that assist us with anti-poaching, and we’re using them. From Kruger National Park’s side, we are doing everything in our power to protect visitors’ safety, and we will continue to do so.”

The couple arrived at a Kruger camp last Sunday, driving a green Ford Ranger double-cab, which has since vanished. They were last seen on Wednesday, and a search operation was launched on Thursday after they failed to return to their camp by closing time.

A helicopter was deployed on Friday morning, but the search proved unsuccessful. Later that day, other tourists discovered their bodies on the riverbank where the Levubu and Limpopo rivers converge. Both victims had sustained multiple stab wounds. Their vehicle remains missing.

Crooks’ Corner, where the bodies were found, is an extremely remote area in the park’s northern section. The location earned its name from its notorious history as a 19th-century smuggling route, positioned at the confluence of three countries: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

READ | Manhunt launched after 2 tourists found brutally murdered at Kruger National Park

SANParks spokesperson Rey Thakhuli confirmed the organisation is on “the highest level of readiness”, deploying technology and cameras to locate the stolen vehicle, though it remains unclear whether it’s still within park boundaries.

Aucamp added that there had not been any reports of visitors cancelling their bookings at this stage.

“That does not mean that we are not taking this seriously, though. We have deployed rangers in that area, and especially in other far-flung areas, to make sure that we can guarantee the safety of the people there,” he said.

“If you look at this as an incident, the first time in 100 years, I think one is not wrong if you say that this is an isolated incident. It’s the first time in 100 years that this has happened. And we must now make sure it never repeats itself.”

ALSO READ | Kruger National Park boosts security after elderly tourists killed

Police have opened a case of two counts of murder, and one of hijacking. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, and a team of detectives is hunting for the suspects, police say.

Police sources indicate strong suspicions that the alleged perpetrators are Mozambican nationals who fled across the border.

Aucamp added: “We must not let the people who did this heinous act win. They will win if people stay away. I’m one of those people who go to the Kruger National Park whenever I’ve got the chance, and I’ve always felt safe there. We should not let this one incident deter us.”