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Kruger National Park : Crooks Corner place marker
Kruger Park, Mpumalanga - Limpopo
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Contact Artefacts | MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | Kruger National Park : Crooks Corner place marker | | ||
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Click to view large map Coordinates: | A constructed random rubble marker bearing an interpretative panel with the following information. CROOKS CORNER PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION Called the haven of scoundrels this area takes the visitors back in time when Crooks Corner was no man's land on the boundary of where three countries come together. This triangular piece of land situated between the Luvuvhu and Limpopo river, is the most north easterly corner of the Old Transvaal (now Limpopo Province.) Since 1913, the Luvuvhu river acted as the northern most boundary of the Kruger National Park, up to where it joined the mighty Limpopo river. The Limpopo river was always the boundary between the Transvaal in South Africa and Southern Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe.) The confluence of the two rivers also formed a natural corner between those two countries and Portuguese East Africa (now called Mozambique.) This area was one of the most remote areas of South Africa, only accessible via long, arduous wagon roads through thick bush and in very hot conditions. HISTORY Crooks Corner was the natural refuge for all kinds of people who had no great wish to look into the eyes of the law and who, at any moment, might suddenly need to flee across an international border. Inevitably, it became known as Crooks Corner as it was the home of ivory poachers, illegal black labour recruiters, gun runners and various other "shady" characters that had chosen the free life of buccaneers and outlaws. One of the more famous (or infamous ?) men who used to operate in this area was Stephanus Cecil Rutgert Barnard. Local people named him Bvekenya, which simply means "one who swaggers when he walks". He would often receive advice from the other veterans like William Pye that when he encountered problems during his ivory poaching adventures, he should head back to Crooks Corner This strategy probably enabled many "shady" characters to escape the long arm of the law for their entire lifetimes. At the corner where the rivers meet, there is a wonderfully useful beacon. To the east lay the Old Portuguese territory, To the North was Southern Rhodesia, to the west lay the Union of South Africa and to the south was this huge track of land that eventually became the Kruger National Park. Now, if the long arm of the law started to catch up with any of these "shady" characters, all they needed to do was to remember the beacon, and if you were on the opposite side of the beacon the law couldn't reach you for fear of violating an international boundary. Even if lawmen from three different countries arrived at the same time, you could also sit on top of the beacon and watch the lawmen fight over who takes you into custody. And this is how the crooks of Crooks Corner managed to live long and healthy lives. The area now falls under the juristiction of Chief Makuleke. [See also Kruger National Park : Memorials and markers]. References:
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