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The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Art and Culture recently made a proposal that the names of four towns in this province be changed.
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture said in May this year that it aims to publish at least three national gazettes this year detailing name changes for geographical features in South Africa.
In the department’s annual performance plan for 2023/24, it said that working with the South African Geographical Names Council, with the goal to gazette name changes in the second, third and fourth quarters of the year.
These three national gazettes will add to the ten published over the last three years, showcasing various name changes.
The South African Geographical Names Council is an advisory body that facilitates name changes by consulting with communities to advise the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture. Name changes are handled in consultation with provincial councils and can apply to cities, towns, villages, rivers, mountains and various other geographical features.
The latest of these consultations include four towns situated in the Eastern Cape, and according to the provincial department’s proposal, the name changes will be as follows:
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Graaff-Reinet’s name be changed to Robert Sobukwe or Fred Hufkie;
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Adendorp to Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba;
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Aberdeen to Camdeboo; and
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Nieu-Bethesda to Kwa Noheleni.
South Africa has seen several key name changes over the last few years, mainly concentrated in the Eastern Cape. Aside from the naming of new geographic features in KwaZulu-Natal, most of the changed names for towns and cities have been in the Eastern Cape.
According to the department, 103 geographical name changes have occurred in the Eastern Cape since 2019.
The most recent proposal for name changes, however, has already provoked widespread reaction. Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, argues that the proposed renaming of these four historic towns would be an unjustified expenditure of taxpayers’ money and that it is not necessary to do something like this as none of the current names causes any offence.
“These towns hold significant historical value, and we intend to monitor the renaming process closely and play an active role in preventing it. These areas are deep-rooted farming communities with a rich heritage and history, which makes the decision to change their names even more insensitive and hurtful to the people who have cherished these towns for generations,” said Kriel.
However, in response to negative reactions to these changes, such as Kriel’s, the department said they are part of expressing South Africa’s heritage, and it remains a core strategy within the department.
“This is our own way as a sector of bringing meaning to freedom by ensuring that the many unearthed and untold stories are given the platform through the national oral history project that we support.
“Through the geographical names project, we have also deliberately set the country on a path towards healing by changing names of towns and cities which have unsavoury colonial and apartheid connotations. In doing so, we have always sought to consult widely in ensuring that the affected communities are part of the name-change process,” it said.
Regarding the cost concerns, the department explained that the cost carried by the department related to these name changes relates to public consultation notices and honoraria for committee and council sittings. These are budgeted for within government departments, it said. The cost of changing names has not been tracked.
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