---
title: "Watch – Kruger after the flood: Willie Aucamp's promise to rebuild SA’s crown jewel"
description: "In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick’s Tiara Walters speaks with Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp about the devastating floods that tore through Kruger National Park. With bridges washed away, camps submerged and key routes severed, Aucamp outlines a phased recovery plan and defends the park’s emergency response. But beyond the logistics, the conversation turns personal: for Aucamp, Kruger is more than a conservation asset — it is a refuge and a national symbol he says he will always fight to protect."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "POWER CHAT"
author: "Tiara Walters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tiarawalters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-02-23-watch-kruger-after-the-flood-willie-aucamps-promise-to-rebuild-sas-crown-jewel/"
published: "2026-02-23T21:39:29"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 53
---

# Watch – Kruger after the flood: Willie Aucamp's promise to rebuild SA’s crown jewel

> In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick’s Tiara Walters speaks with Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp about the devastating floods that tore through Kruger National Park. With bridges washed away, camps submerged and key routes severed, Aucamp outlines a phased recovery plan and defends the park’s emergency response. But beyond the logistics, the conversation turns personal: for Aucamp, Kruger is more than a conservation asset — it is a refuge and a national symbol he says he will always fight to protect.

By Tiara Walters · Published 23 February 2026, 23:39 SAST

## Content

[YouTube video: "YouTube video"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpa6BUs9RGU)

[Media](https://player.simplecast.com/b93b05eb-ee95-4826-8ca6-3f7940d72859?dark=false)

Hosted by: Tiara Walters
Guest: Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp
Edited by: Joel Seboa
Produced by: Emilie Gambade & Joel Seboa
Original Theme Music & Design by: Bernard Kotze

You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify!

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