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President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government plans to rename more towns and cities as it works to ‘transform the heritage landscape’ of the country.
In a Heritage Day speech on Thursday (September 24), the president said that building a united nation means that the country must continually be aware of and control its own acts of racism and prejudice.
“The naming and renaming of towns and cities is part of this, as well as the construction of new statues and monuments. Monuments that glorify our divisive past must be repositioned and relocated, ”he said.
“This has generated controversy, and some say that we are trying to erase our history.” The president said that any symbol, monument or activity that glorifies racism, that represents the country’s ugly past, has no place in democratic South Africa.
“The fight against apartheid had as its main objective to ensure that all our people regain their dignity, in black and white. Restoring your dignity is the concern of this administration.
“In the wake of Covid-19, and in the future, it will continue to be our main concern.”
Name changes
The Eastern Cape government is currently considering an official name change for various towns in the province as part of a program designed to transform the country’s geographic landscape so that it is 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.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says his department is also considering a report on renaming the country’s airports.
Mbalula said the report includes the outcome of public presentations regarding the renaming of Cape Town International Airport.
He said the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has also embarked on a project to rename East London Airport, Port Elizabeth International Airport and Kimberley Airport.
“This is in line with the South African Geographical Names Council Act and is part of the Government Program for Heritage Landscape Transformation.
“By law, the Minister of Art and Culture is responsible for the approval of geographical names after receiving recommendations from the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC).”
SAGNC is responsible for geographic features of national interest, including but not limited to towns / cities, suburbs, and any form of human settlement, post offices, stations, highways, airports, and government dams.
The council is also responsible for natural landforms such as mountains, hills, rivers, streams, bays, headlands, and islands.
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