South Africa is again debating the name changes of provinces and towns.
Over the past month, there has been nationwide debate over the name changes of various towns and provinces. This puts into question South Africa’s history and if we should preserve the current names as a reminder or change them to honour our heritage.
Name changes carry real and expensive costs. The updating of maps, road signs, business branding and tourism material require funding and resources that could be used elsewhere. The country has a multitude of more pressing issues – such as a high unemployment rate, and water and electricity shortages- changing the names of provinces and towns shouldn’t be the top priority for the current economic climate of South Africa.
The Eastern Cape’s is currently undergoing a massive transformation on this front. Gayton McKenzie , the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, approved 21 geographical name changes, including renaming East London to KuGompo and Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town. This has been in line with public consultations and recommendations made from the South African Geographical Names Council.
The name changes are yet to be confirmed as it is the department’s ongoing commitment to ensure that the names highlight the country’s diverse heritage and history. Most residents in Eastern Cape are against the name changes highlighting that the towns historical identity and heritage should remain, as this keeps history intact.
Other residents argue that the changes are long overdue, as the original names are reminiscent of our history and it is important to keep reminders around, so that people do not forget. The renaming project can be viewed as a form of decolonialisation and reclaiming our history and instilling pride over the South African landscape.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini recently reignited the debate by calling for the removal of “Natal”, from the provincial name “KwaZulu- Natal”, he argues that before colonial efforts the area was simply called KwaZulu. The Zulu king is pleading with politicians to broaden the public debate about these historical boarders as they have been shaped by colonial authorities.
The African National Congress (ANC) has responded cautiously, particularly around the proposals to rename KwaZulu-Natal, stressing that it has not yet adopted an official position on the matter. The party emphasised that any provincial name changes must follow proper constitutional and legal processes.
As the debate continues, we need to critically ask ourselves what impact the name changes will have on the community, whether positive or negative, it will be the residents that deal with the massive changes, and their opinion is of high importance.
FEATURED IMAGE: Geographical name changes debate. Graphic by: Bonolo Mokonoto
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