Name change coming for historic 168-year-old town in South Africa
The Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee has confirmed that it will proceed with renaming several towns in the province.
According to the Freedom Front Plus, which is opposing the proposed name changes, this will impact, among others:
- Lady Grey, which will be renamed to Inkosi Makhobeni,
- Sterkspruit, which will be renamed to Inkosi Mpangazi, and
- Herschel, which will be renamed to Inkosi Lihlongo.
Among the proposed changes, the alteration to Lady Grey will significantly affect the settlement, which has a history dating back to 1857.
The town was established on a farm purchased by the Dutch Reformed Church in 1857 to found a new congregation. The town was founded a year later in 1858.
It was named in honour of Eliza Lucy Grey, the wife of Sir George Grey, the governor of the Cape Colony at the time (1854 to 1859).
It became an official municipality in 1893, making it 133 years old as a municipality, but 168 years old as a settlement—one of the oldest in the country.
Today, the town is one of South Africa’s greatest “hidden gems”, with tourism focused on fishing, nearby nature reserves, and scenic getaways.
It is also home to the Lady Grey Arts Academy, a specialised school where young people are developed in the visual and performing arts.
Another town up for a change is Herschel, which is also a historic settlement in the country.
The town was founded in 1879 and was named after the astronomer Sir John Herschel, who worked in the Cape Colony.
The changes are part of a wider initiative by the Eastern Cape government to rename towns to reflect the names of historical local chiefs and freedom fighters
The proposed name changes to Inkosi Makhobeni, Inkosi Mpangazi and Inkosi Lihlongo would be in honour of historic traditional leaders.
The province has made significant name changes in recent years, including:
- East London to KuGompo City
- Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town
- Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha;
- Morgan’s Bay to Gxarha;
- Cradock to Nxuba;
- Uitenhage to Kariega;
- King William’s Town to Qonce;
- Queenstown to Komani; and
- Grahamstown to Makhanda.
More name changes are in process.
The changes have not been without opposition, however. Residents in towns like Graaff-Reinet have taken to the streets in protest to keep the historic names.
The Freedom Front Plus has also taken a firm stance against the changes.
“The Freedom Front Plus’s policy on name changes is clear: We condemn all unnecessary, costly and politically driven name changes that divide communities, waste taxpayers’ money, and attempt to erase existing history and identity,” the party said.
The party flagged the timing and handling of the name-changing process, raising concerns that it is taking place before the local government elections.
This, it said, “creates the impression that political interests and vote-catching are more important than service delivery”.
As the provinces move ahead with name changes, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture is proceeding to amend the country’s name-change laws to clarify the process.
The coming changes will also establish a firmer procedure for challenging name changes before taking matters to the country’s courts.
Images of Lady Grey, South Africa
Loading ...