The "Keep Grahamstown Grahamstown (KKG) campaign" spearheaded by anti-name change campaigner, Advocate Jock McConnachie said it now intends to make a comprehensive representation to the newly appointed Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie to review the name changes in the Eastern Cape.
The renaming of Grahamstown to Makhanda was gazetted in 2019 by former Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
McConnachie, who has been fighting the name change for years, also criticised what he called a "fast track" method of name-changing currently employed by the Eastern Cape Geographic Place Names Committee (ECGPNC).
The KGG believes that all name changes in terms of the "fast-track" system were defective due to the lack of proper consultation and other factors.
Essentially, McConnachie wants the Minister to reconsider the name changes and place a moratorium on all further name changes in the Province.
Since 2015, a number of places were renamed in the Province including Aliwal North, Lady Frere, Alice, Queenstown, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, King Williams Town, Cradock, Somerset East, Fort Beaufort, Kirkwood, and all three Airports in the Eastern Cape.
The renaming of Grahamstown was declared lawful by a judgment on the Eastern Cape High Court and confirmed on appeal.
When Grahamstown's name was changed to Makhanda, former Minister Mthethwa said the gazetting of the new name had been preceded by 20 years of discussions from members of the public, historians, academics and politicians.
AFRIFORUM
Earlier this month AfriForum said the continued changing of place names was an expensive exercise in window dressing.
AfriForum's Head of Cultural Affairs, Alana Bailey, said, it is a cause for concern that the Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Sibulele Ngongo, recently emphasised in her budget speech that this province has already changed more place names than any other in the country, as if this is a competition and does not cause any disruption.
She said Geographic name changes are required when offending names and incorrect spellings are amended. Currently, however, a haphazard process is underway where proposals for name changes are motivated as necessary for the so-called 'transformation of the cultural heritage' and 'restorative justice' to take place.
Bailey believes that people who support the process are mostly not properly informed about its administrative costs and consequences.
A guide outlining these processes is available on the website of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
