Gayton McKenzie distances himself from changing names of Eastern Cape towns

Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie has denied having an “obsession” with changing the names of towns or streets, emphasising that ” there are bigger issues that need attention”.

This follows his response to an inquiry from Netwerk24 on Sunday regarding the proposed name change of four Eastern Cape towns, including Graaff-Reinet and Nieu-Bethesda.

The South African Council for Geographical Names, of which McKenzie is a member, rejected the proposal on 4 July.

Insufficient evidence and public consultation

McKenzie stated that the proposal lacked sufficient evidence to justify the name changes.

The Eastern Cape committee proposed renaming Graaff-Reinet after Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the founder of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), who was born in the town in 1924.

However, the council rejected the proposal due to inadequate public hearings on the proposed name change.

“The report submitted did not contain enough information to convince the council that sufficient consultation had been done on the name change.

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“It appeared that in the public session that was held at Graaff-Reinet, objections were registered,” said McKenzie.

In February, the DA filed an application via the Promotion of Access to Information Act to reveal the identity of those who proposed the name change.

The Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee said the proposed name changes is to redress and transform geographical naming systems.

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The committee’s chairperson Johnny Mahlahla emphasised the need for public consultation prior to making any decisions.

“Only after that will us, as the South African Geographical Names Council, sit down and consider the application,” Mahlahla added.

Name change might cause economic damage

The Economic Development Forum of Graaff-Reinet expressed concern that the name change would further cripple the economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism.

“When you change a well-known name, centuries, which is a destination, international destination, local destination for tourism, then logic dictates that there will be a negative impact. Our town is very dependent on tourism,” said the forum’s Derek Light.

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Mixed views from residents

Some residents argued that the name change was unnecessary, while others believed it was essential to keep Sobukwe’s memory alive.

“There’s nothing offensive about the name. There’s nothing, the spelling is correct, although it’s incorrect on your forms. Um, but we know how to spell Graaff-Reinet. So there’s nothing, there’s nothing to say that this name change is necessary,” said one of the residents.

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Other residents expressed how it is important to keep the memory of Sobukwe alive.

“As a way of trying to have a united citizenry, to build a history as a people, as a historian myself, I would say, if we want to have a history that is long standing, the history of this place must be inclusive. And to have the name of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe standardising the town would bring an inclusivity in the society of these people,” one argued.

Another resident said that Sobukwe’s name held historical significance for the town having been born and bred in the area.