In the spirit of Heritage Month, during which South Africa celebrates and recognises the country’s cultural wealth, the metro resolved to embark on a process of renaming 42 street names and eight landmarks after political icons and other eminent individuals from the region.
The decision was taken at an extraordinary council meeting held at the Germiston Council Chambers on Wednesday.
The metro owns 35 of the 42 roads that have been identified for renaming and the rest are owned by either the national or provincial spheres of government.
Among the prominent street names sited for renaming, the metro has resolved to recommend that the largest interchange in Africa, Gillooly’s Interchange, be renamed after anti-apartheid human rights lawyer and Rivonia trialist Adv George Bizos SC; Olifantsfontein Road has been recommended to be renamed Winnie Madikizela Mandela Road, after anti-apartheid icon and politician, who is also affectionately known as the Mother of the Nation; and Van Buuren off-ramp has been recommended to be renamed after former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who championed the African Renaissance on the continent and tirelessly advocated for Africa’s self-reliance.
Other street name changes include Mary Moodley (Snake Road), Lungile Mtshali (Edenvale Road), Magaret Gazo (Ego Road) and Sam Ntuli (Kliprivier Road).
Among the key landmarks that will be renamed is the Germiston Government Precinct, which will be renamed OR Tambo Government Precinct.
This particular renaming comes as we sit on the threshold of the commemoration of OR Tambo Month.
OR Tambo was a revolutionary who dedicated his life to the freedom of South Africa.
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The Springs Theatre will be renamed after legendary actor Ken Gampu, while the new Germiston Theatre will now be known as the Dumisani Masilela Theatre.
Masilela was gunned down in Tembisa two years ago and remains a role model to young people in the metro.
“We must build a city whose landmarks, highways, streets and intersections bear a resemblance to all the people who make up its population.
“The collective identity and moral image of the city must be drawn from within the histories of the whole population.
“The children of our city must grow up in an environment that bears names that are familiar to their home languages and of people they communicate with in their everyday lives.
“I must emphasise that this is the beginning of a process of other phases to unfold in our programme to redress the apartheid legacy and promote social cohesion in our efforts in creating a national democratic society,” said executive mayor Mzwandile Masina.
The metro will be having further discussions with both national and provincial government as the process unfolds.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za or Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za.
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