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South African National Parks (SANParks) has assured the public that the Kruger National Park remains a safe place to visit and work in after the discovery of two bodies in the Pafuri section of the park.
The bodies of Dina Marais, 73, and Ernst Marais, 71, from Mossel Bay, were discovered near a river in the Pafuri section known as the Nxanatseni North Region on Friday afternoon.
In a media statement released on Sunday, SANParks spokesperson JP Louw described the incident as unprecedented.
“This incident is unprecedented in the more than 2-million-hectare park that shares a combined 374km border with Mozambique and Zimbabwe. No similar occurrence has ever been recorded in its 100-year history.
“SANParks emphasises that across its vast landscape, Kruger National Park remains a very safe area to visit and work at with effective security protocols that remain in place,” he said.
According to Louw, the tourists failed to return to camp on Thursday evening, prompting staff to immediately launch a search operation.
The search continued on Friday morning, but before officials could locate the missing couple, another tourist reported seeing two bodies near a river.
Louw said forestry, fisheries and the environment minister Willie Aucamp had contacted the family on Saturday to convey condolences.
He said members of the SANParks board, executive management and senior SAPS officials also visited the next-of-kin to offer support.
“During this engagement, the family shared that the couple were long-standing, deeply committed visitors to Kruger — regular guests who strictly adhered to park rules and would never have placed themselves at risk by exiting their vehicle where it was prohibited,” said Louw.
SANParks also confirmed that security camera footage from the park’s gates showed that the couple’s missing vehicle did not leave through any of the park’s nine access gates or through the two international border posts into Mozambique.
“In the vicinity of the crime scene, KNP rangers followed what they believe to be tyre tracks of the missing vehicle. The tracks point to a vehicle that was driven through the bush, over the fence and into Mozambique. There is, however, no confirmation that the tracks are of the missing vehicle.”
Louw said while the SAPS continues to lead the investigation, SANParks has started implementing additional risk mitigation measures in parts of the Nxanatseni North Region.
“These actions will reinforce our ongoing commitment to visitor safety and operational readiness,” he said.
The measures include deploying additional monitoring and ranger resources in areas of concern, strengthening surveillance and early warning systems and using technology to support the investigation.
“For security reasons, SANParks does not disclose operational security details. However, SANParks can confirm that existing technology systems assisted in identifying the vehicle linked to the missing tourists. This capability reflects SANParks’ sustained investment in modern technology to combat poaching and other illegal activities.”
Louw said SANParks would continue supporting SAPS with the investigation while prioritising the safety of visitors, staff and wildlife.
“We again extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. Out of respect for the family and to protect the integrity of the investigation, SANParks will not provide further comments at this stage.”
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