Name changes for three more towns in South Africa under fire
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is joining the Freedom Front Plus in pushing back against proposed name changes for three towns in South Africa, including the historic Lady Grey.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC) is currently considering applications to rename the towns and invited stakeholders to a meeting last week.
The proposed changes are:
- Changing Lady Grey to Inkosi Makhobeni,
- Changing Herschel to Inkosi Lihlongo
- Changing Sterkspruit to Inkosi Mpangazi.
Mapetla Mohapi has also been proposed as an alternative name for Sterkspruit.
Lady Grey is one of the oldest towns in South Africa, established on a farm purchased by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1857, and made an official municipality in 1893.
It was named in honour of Eliza Lucy Grey, the wife of Sir George Grey, the governor of the Cape Colony at the time.
Herschel is another historic settlement, founded in 1879 and named after the astronomer Sir John Herschel, who worked in the Cape Colony.
The Freedom Front Plus alerted the public to the potential changes on 12 August, providing BusinessTech with the official correspondence from the ECPGNC.
According to the DA, the stakeholder meeting about the changes is now being questioned.
“What remains unclear is whether this stakeholder meeting formed part of a properly advertised public participation process, who was invited to participate, and how widely residents were informed,” it said.
The party has also questioned whether an opportunity was provided for those unable to attend to make written submissions.
DA MEC covering the Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture portfolio, Leander Kruger, said that it is also concerning that the three name changes were not part of the proposed changes advertised last year.
“When the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture advertised public hearings in Senqu in May last year, the proposed changes under consideration included Barkly East and several geographical features in the area,” Kruger said.
“Lady Grey, Sterkspruit, and Herschel were not among the town names listed in that notice.”
Kruger said that public participation cannot become a simple procedural formality used to legitimise decisions that have effectively already been taken.
The DA said it would request a complete record relating to the applications for name changes to the three towns.
It wants the original applications and motivations, research conducted, proof of public notices and advertisements, minutes and attendance registers from consultation meetings, all written comments and objections received, and any recommendations already made by the ECPGNC.
“We also want clarity on whether further public hearings will be held before these applications proceed to the South African Geographical Names Council,” Kruger said.
History repeating
Kruger noted that the latest round of name changes follows a historic pattern of questionable public participation process and disregard for community feedback.
He noted that, earlier this year, more than 38 000 objections were submitted against name changes affecting Graaff-Reinet, East London, Aberdeen, Adendorp, and Barkly East.
This came after residents raised serious concerns about the consultation process.
The DA said it supports redress, reconciliation, and the recognition of South Africa’s diverse history, but stressed that name changes can’t be forced.
More importantly, the consultation processes for name changes cannot be poorly planned, ill-informed and push towards foregone conclusions.
“Meaningful consultation requires that residents be informed before decisions are made, given a genuine opportunity to participate, and assured that their views have been considered,” Kruger said.
“Decisions affecting the names, identities, and heritage of communities cannot simply be imposed from above.”
As it currently stands under South Africa’s regulations, name changes can be appealed or challenged, but all such submissions go directly to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture after the changes have been gazetted.
The Department is in the process of amending the laws to introduce a clearer process and to establish an appeals tribunal to hear challenges.
This will provide opponents to name changes with a firmer platform to lay complaints—particularly around consultation issues—before escalating matters to the country’s courts.
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