Democratic Alliance
The small town of Kirkwood in the Eastern Cape is the latest town to undergo a name change.
The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa approved the name change which was Gazetted on Friday.
Kirkwood is now called Nqweba which in IsiXhosa means 'meeting place'.
Nqweba falls under Sunday's River Valley Municipality which welcomed the name change.
Mayor Solethu Lucas described it as a great victory for the area's people.
"I am very happy about the pronouncement because the standardisation of Nqweba means giving the natives of the area back their dignity," he said.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPNG) held public hearings in the area in November 2023 to get people’s views on the proposed name.
The ECPNG has encouraged anyone who wishes to object to the latest pronouncement to make a written submission directly to the Office of the Minister within 30 days of the publication.
The Democratic Alliance opposed the name change accusing the National Government of wasting money while many South Africans suffer in poverty.
The DA argued in a petition that there was no historically relevant reason to change the town's name.
