More name changes planned for South Africa’s city of gold

The City of Johannesburg has announced plans for more name changes, particularly in Braamfontein, Eldorado Park and Westbury.

In a statement, the city noted that renaming proposals for honouring community heroes and icons in Eldorado Park and Westbury are being opened for public comment.

“Among the shortlist of proposed names is writer Don Mattera, together with sporting legend Donnie Gilmour.

“Teenage shooting victim Nathaniel Julies, whose life was tragically cut short in 2020, has also been proposed for a street naming in Eldorado Park,” it said.

The City noted the proposed renaming of De Beer Street in Braamfontein to Mthokozisi Ntumba Street in honour of the late Mthokozisi Ntumba.

The city added that to help celebrate these figures and etch them in public memory, it’s considering proposals for renaming the following streets and public facilities:

• De Beer Street in Braamfontein to Mthokozisi Ntumba Street;

• Main Road in Eldorado Park to be renamed Don Mattera Road;

• Westbury Recreation Centre to be renamed Don Mattera Recreation Centre;

• Mabaleng Sports Ground in Westbury is to be renamed Donnie Gilmour Sports Ground; and

• Nikkel Crescent in Eldorado Park is to be renamed Nathaniel Julies Crescent.

The renaming proposals to honour author and activist Don Mattera, as well as sportsman Donnie Gilmour, have been put forward by the Don Mattera Legacy Foundation.

Community Accountability Gatekeepers, representing the Julies family, have proposed renaming Nickel Crescent in Eldorado Park to Nathaniel Julies Crescent.

The city noted that the proposed renaming of streets and facilities in Eldorado Park and Westbury will be subject to public consultation in accordance with the City of Johannesburg Policy on the naming of Streets and Public Places.

As stated in the Policy: “The process of naming or renaming must be undertaken in a consultative manner, and this must be clearly demonstrated before Council can take a final decision.”

The city added that residents, stakeholders, and interested parties are encouraged to send comments on the renaming proposals for streets and facilities in Eldorado Park and Westbury to the City Directorate of Arts, Culture, and Heritage.

Comments and enquiries in respect of the renaming proposals should be addressed to:

• Kopano Monaheng—[email protected], and
• Dominica Masalesa—[email protected]

The period of public comment will be open for 28 days, starting on 3 March 2025 and ending on 31 March 2025.

The Council will consider all submissions and comments received before taking a final decision.

Push back

While these name changes have been proposed, they often face notable pushback from community members and opposition parties.

Since the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) was established, over 1,500 name changes, including major towns and cities, have been processed in the country.

Some recent examples relevant to Johannesburg include the official change of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive at the end of 2023.

However, whenever these name changes occur, there is often a huge public outcry and allegations of a lack of consultation.

Many claim to have never been aware of any name change processes underway and that public hearings, if any, are not communicated efficiently.

Opposition parties, in particular, have criticised the processes, saying that the changes are often pushed through despite opposition and that there is no way to appeal the process.

This has been evident in another name change proposed in Johannesburg when the city wanted to rename Sandton Drive after Palestinian struggle hero Leila Khaled.

Following heated deliberations from political parties and civic organisations, the city announced that it would stop the renaming until council members reached a consensus.

This followed an independent public participation process that revealed Joburg residents’ outright rejection of this motion. The city received an unprecedented number of public comments on the proposal.

The motion to rename Sandton Drive after Khaled was approved in 2018 by the city council, which was suggested by a tripartite coalition of Al Jama-ah, the EFF and the ANC.

This was strongly opposed, considering Khaled was known for terrorist acts, and the name change would go against South Africa’s values of reconciliation and peace-building. 

Opposition parties such as Action SA and the DA have criticised the name changes as cheap politics designed to distract attention from the inaction in fixing real issues such as infrastructure and service delivery.

Following the disagreements over the renaming of Sandton Drive, ActionSA Gauteng chairperson Funzi Ngobeni said that local government should focus on improving road networks instead of pushing for name changes.

“The realities of local government in Johannesburg are stark, as too many residents and communities have experienced declining service delivery and infrastructure stability.

“The city needs to start fixing potholes and stop playing cheap politics. This, and not the renaming of non-offensive street names, must be the priority and focus of the municipality,” he said.