Skukuza

Skukuza
Camp entrance at Skukuza
Skukuza Show map of Mpumalanga Skukuza Show map of South Africa Skukuza Show map of Africa  Skukuza shown within Mpumalanga
Coordinates: 24°59′45″S 31°35′31″E / 24.99583°S 31.59194°E / -24.99583; 31.59194Coordinates: 24°59′45″S 31°35′31″E / 24.99583°S 31.59194°E / -24.99583; 31.59194
Country	South Africa
Province	Mpumalanga
District	Ehlanzeni
Municipality	Mbombela
Government
• Type	Ward 39
• Councillor	Dudu Tryphinah Nkosi
Area
• Total	4.98 km2 (1.92 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,599
• Density	320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	83.9%
• Coloured	1.6%
• Indian/Asian	0.1%
• White	14.4%
First languages (2011)
• Tsonga	58.0%
• Swazi	9.7%
• Afrikaans	9.5%
• English	7.7%
• Other	15.2%
PO box	1350

Skukuza is the administrative headquarters and main camp of the Kruger National Park in South Africa, it is the largest rest camp in South Africa and also the largest rest camp in the Kruger National Park. It is situated on the southern banks of the Sabie River in Mpumalanga Province. The name "Skukuza" was given by the local Tsonga people as a nickname for James Stevenson-Hamilton. It could be translated as 'to sweep', as Stevenson-Hamilton was perceived as to sweep the land clean of poachers and other criminals operating in the area. Skukuza was a proud home of the Tsonga people until 1905, when the Colonial Government evicted them and resettled them in villages around Hazyview, where there was already a large concentration of Tsonga people. The Tsonga people were finally removed from the Park completely in 1926.

Skukuza was a large, densely populated Tsonga chiefdom under the authority of Chief Ngomane and his people. The Tsonga people of Skukuza were great big game hunters, they hunted Africa's big five as well as smaller animals. They used the Sabie River for fishing. The land where the Skukuza camp is situated was chief Ngomane's palace (eHubyeni) and he used to conduct tribal meetings there. When the government decided to establish a national park during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Skukuza was identified as a potential site, firstly because of its natural beauty, the mighty Sabie River flowing nearby, and because of its abundance of Africa's big five, leopard, lion, buffalo, rhino and elephant were present in large numbers compared to other sites. The government moved the Tsonga people to villages around Bushbuckridge and Hazyview, where there were large concentrations of Shangaan people.

The park's warden was James Stevenson-Hamilton, a good friend of the Tsonga people and fluent in Tsonga language. He was very familiar with Tsonga culture and he was taught animal hunting and tracking skills by the Tsonga. Stevenson-Hamilton was then given a new name by the Tsonga, they named him Skukuza, meaning 'new broom' or someone who turn things upside down, inside out.