[ad_1]
The Eastern Cape government is considering an official name change for several towns in the province as part of a program aimed at transforming the country’s geographic landscape to be more representative of its people.
The main metropolitan area of East London has been identified as one of the cities that could see a change, with KuGompo provided as an alternate name.
Other proposed changes include:
- King William’s Town was renamed Once;
- Berlin renamed to There is no resurrection;
- East London Airport was renamed King Phalo Airport.
In 2018, the city of Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape, officially changed its name to Makhanda as part of the same initiative.
At the time, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, said that it is standard practice to change names that do not conform to the letter and spirit of the constitution.
“It is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that recommended that renaming geographic features be a form of ‘symbolic reparation’ to address an unjust past,” he said.
“These repairs include changing the names of geographic places. We surely cannot demonstrate our commitment (as a government) to fully achieving these reparations if we retain names like Grahamstown, named after Colonel John Graham, whose name is captured in history as the most brutal and cruel of the British commanders in that country. . border.”
By comparison, ‘Makhanda’, also known as Nxele, was a Xhosa warrior, philosopher, prophet and military man who fought colonialism in battles including one in which he led an attack on the British garrison at Grahamstown in 1819, he said. .
Expensive exercise
However, the name changes have come under increased scrutiny in recent years due to the associated costs associated with the country’s already strained treasury.
The opposition Democratic Alliance said it would oppose “frivolous” name changes in the Buffalo Metropolitan.
“Renaming these metropolitan cities from Buffalo City and the airport will not increase tourism, boost investment, improve service delivery, create jobs, or eradicate the problems that residents face on a daily basis,” said Chantel King of the Attorney General’s Office.
“Instead of spending millions on new signage, the money should be used to improve the lives of the people of the Buffalo City subway.”
Residents have 21 days to object or comment on the renaming of the three cities and the airport. The deadline for submissions to the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture is September 21.
King said the district attorney is circulating a petition that we will submit to the Department before the Sept. 17 petition deadline.
“We will not sit idly by and watch millions of rand go to waste on frivolous name changes, money that can be used to improve the lives of residents,” he said.
Headline image courtesy of Buffalo City Tourism.
Read: New rules on alcohol will only hurt the economy more – experts
[ad_2]
