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Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, says he is opposed to the name changes of Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage to Gqeberha and Kariega respectively.
In a post on his Facebook page on Monday, Bhanga, who is also the DA’s provincial leader, said that he had written to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthetwa, who gazetted several name changes in the Eastern Cape last week.
“I am of the opinion these new names are not inclusive and, in fact, have no isiXhosa meaning,” Bhanga said.
“While not disputing the need for geographical names that portray an inclusive country, I believe that these names have no relation to and/or connection to the people of our Metro.”
He said questions also linger about the public participation process and the inputs received.
“I am pleased to see that other political parties in Nelson Mandela Bay agree with me on the matter. As Executive Mayor, I will explore further actions to be taken to stop these ill-advised changes,” he said.
The Port Elizabeth Airport was also renamed Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.
