The City of Ekurhuleni has begun its process of changing street names across the metro.
The renaming of 44 key streets and roads in the metro will form part of a two-year process.
In September 2019, the City of Ekurhuleni’s Council approved 44 name changes following a public participation process that kicked off in March 2019.
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According to the spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni, Zweli Dlamini, the public participation process involved the collection of nominations for names that cumulated into the report that was adopted by the council.
“Since the document was approved, the City of Ekurhuleni started to implement the council resolution by proceeding with streets name promulgation, street signage, mapping and routing,” Dlamini said.
He added that the renaming would take place in batches.
Through this process, the approved batch names are sent to the office of the Surveyor-General.
“Once approved, the City Planning Department puts names on the GIS map and then the Roads and Stormwater Department will install the signage.”
Dlamini said that the replacements of road names for the first batch of approved streets already started in May this year.
“The first batch of street names that have gone through the process are Linksfield Road, Rondebult Road, Barbara Road, Altas Road, Swatkoppies Road, Jones Road and Jet Park Road”.
He said that the renaming of the roads was budgeted for in the 2020/2021 financial year.
Among the approved changes is Gillooly’s Interchange which will now be named the George Bizos Interchange and Barbara Road that will now be known as Lazerus Mawela Road.
Van Buuren Road will soon be known as Thabo Mbeki Road and Linksfield Road will be renamed Lethabo Malatjie Road.
Voortrekker Road in Kempton Park will be known as Amon Ngulele Road while Geldenhuis Interchange in Germiston will be renamed to the Bavumile Vilakazi Interchange.
Heidelberg Road in Elsburg will be known as David Bopape Road while Edenvale Road and Van Riebeeck Avenue will soon be renamed Lungile Mtshali Road.
Rand Air Port Road will be known as Fanyana Banda Road and Kraft Road will be changed to Ntemi Ncwane Road.
Atlas Road will be changed to Solomon Jefferson Mahlangu Road while Pomona Road will change to Petrus “Chilly” Magagula Road.
Bronkhorstspruit Road will be renamed Sarah Mnyele Road and the R562 Olifantsfontein will be changed to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Road.
In addition, the Germiston Government Precinct will be renamed the OR Tambo Government Precinct.
Thirty-five of the streets and roads identified for renaming are owned by the City of Ekurhuleni.
The remaining names will be changed in consultation with various provincial and national bodies.
Contact the newsroom by emailing:
Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za