A report, tabled at the recent Council Meeting by the Polokwane Local Geographical Names Committee to change various area names “as it can’t (be) relied on applicants (developers of townships) to propose a name anywhere” was withdrawn after Polokwane Mayor, Thembi Nkadimeng, asked the committee to do so.
She said the people had to be consulted and that the committee had not followed prescribed procedures, which included a public participation process.
This followed a question by DA Ward Councillor, Jacques Joubert if this was what the people really wanted.
The current Municipal Planning by-law requires applicants wishing to develop a new township to reserve a name for the development, while the Polokwane Local Geographic Names Policy requires the Director of Planning and Economic Development to propose township zone names.
The committee said the naming would “prevent ad hoc name allocation and ensure conformity to certain areas.”
They also motivated the change by saying erf numbers have become too long for maps and general plans, thus new names were necessary. Names and reasons were supplied for the changes to the new proposed names.
They also asked the City Planning and Property Management SBU to submit new township zone names (when necessary) in future to the Polokwane Local Geographical Names Committee. They said the municipality “has a need to set zones in order to control the names of zones.” The new names can then be issued for township development when applicants apply for township developments.
Proposed names were as follows:
• The R37 Palmietfontein farms and Silicon mining area to Thaba-Tsheu Square.
• Myngenoegen farms area to East Ridge.
• N1 South to West Gate.
• Roodepoort area and R37 road/Palmietfontein to Dilokong.
• Sterkloop farms on Percy Fyfe road to Kingdom Park.
• Leeuwkuil farms to two areas: Ian Makoto Hills and also City Ridge.
• Jansen Park to Mopane Valley.
• R101 and N1 North areas to Airport Gardens and
• Tweefontein farm areas to Airport Park.
• R101 and N1 North areas to Northern Gateway.
• Tweefontein farm areas on R81 to East Gate.
• R521 road to Mapungubwe Hill.
• Matlala road to Maruba Sekwala Heritage Park and
• Dalmada Agricultural Holdings to Dalmada.
Story: Nelie Erasmus
