Bygones and Byways focuses on South African family history, genealogy, heritage and history. Copyright: Anne Lehmkuhl. Email me for your family history research or general history enquiries.
Showing posts with label Geographic name changes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Geographic name changes. Show all posts
16 August 2008
NAME CHANGES IN EASTERN CAPE
The Eastern Cape geographical names committee is planning to change about 60 place names in the Eastern Cape, because they are "of colonial origin". Amongst those targeted to change, is Queenstown, which was laid out in 1853 and attained municipal status in 1855. It was named after Queen Victoria. According to Chief Ngangomhlaba MATANZIMA of AbaThembu baseRhoda, it was named after AbaThembu Queen Nonesi who lived in the area in the 1800s. The committee wants to rename Queenstown to Komani or Nonesi. Other proposed name changes include the Fish River being renamed Nxuba. East London would become Monti or Gompo. Port Elizabeth would become Nelson Mandela City. King William’s Town could be known as Qonce, Grahamstown as Rhini, and Alice as Dike. The Kei River would be known as Nciba. The East London suburb Nahoon could be known as Nxarhuni. Haga Haga and Gulu will be changed to Haka Haka and Gxulu respectively. Fumanekile DYUBELE, chairman of the Eastern Cape geographical names committee, said public hearings on some of the names would start next month.
22 June 2008
NAME CHANGES
Various provinces and local councils have plans for more name changes. Some of these proposals have led to protests, and not always peaceful ones.
The Eastern Cape is looking at changing the names of at least 58 towns, rivers, buildings, cemeteries, streets and landmarks next year. These include King William’s Town, Queenstown, Port Elizabeth, East London and Grahamstown. Local committees will look at changing names which are considered offensive; corrupted or misspelt; or colonial. Of the 58 places which could be renamed, 12 bear the names of colonial governors.
Cape Town is looking at changing 39 names, after the initial list contained 238 proposed name changes. The committee is headed by Rhoda KADALIE. Changes include renaming JB Hertzog Boulevard to Nelson Mandela Boulevard; De Waal Drive to Phillip Kgosana Drive; Coen Steytler Avenue to Walter Sisulu Avenue; DF Malan Street to David Poole Street; Castle Street to Krotoa Street; Hans Strydom Avenue to Albert Luthuli Avenue; and Oswald Pirow Street to Christiaan Barnard Drive.
Durban’s recently proposed name changes led to violent protests in the city. This after opponents claimed that proper procedure had not been followed in the renaming process and that affected people had not been adequately consulted. The list contained at least 288 proposed changes. The most controversial proposal was that of renaming Kingway in Amanzimtoti after Sibusiso Andrew ZONDO, an ANC member who planted a bomb at a shopping centre in the town on the 23rd December 1985. Two women and three children were killed, 48 people were injured. He was sentenced to death in September 1986. Irma BENCINI was 48 when she died and Anna Petronella SHEARER was 43. Cornelius Francois SMIT, Willem Arie VAN WYK (2 years) and Sharon BOTHMA were the children killed.
The proposal to rename Edwin Swales VC Drive to Solomon Mahlangu Drive was just as controversial. Major Edwin SWALES was a Durban resident who joined the Natal Mounted Rifles at the outbreak of WWII and in 1941 helped to liberate Abyssinia. He became a pilot and was killed three months before the end of the war. Knowing that his damaged plane was about to crash, he held it steady, enabling his crew of nine to bale out. They survived. He was one of only two South Africans to receive the Victoria Cross in WWII.
NMR Avenue is also in the firing line, to be renamed to Masabalala Yengwa Avenue. The avenue was named after the Natal Mounted Rifles, one of South Africa's oldest regiments which is still in existence. Smith Street is to become Anton Lembede or Moses Mabhida Street. It was named after Captain Thomas Charlton SMITH. He was a Waterloo veteran who commanded the British forces who were besieged at the Old Fort in 1842.
Name changes in South Africa have been common throughout its history. When South Africa became a republic, the government of the day started changing place names. The target then was any trace of the country’s British history. A classic example of this is the military base in Pretoria — it was first known as Robert’s Heights during British rule, changed to Voortrekkerhoogte by the Nationalist government, and in 1998 changed by the ANC government to Thabo Tshwane. What governments forget, is that a country’s history cannot be changed or erased merely by changing place names.
The Eastern Cape is looking at changing the names of at least 58 towns, rivers, buildings, cemeteries, streets and landmarks next year. These include King William’s Town, Queenstown, Port Elizabeth, East London and Grahamstown. Local committees will look at changing names which are considered offensive; corrupted or misspelt; or colonial. Of the 58 places which could be renamed, 12 bear the names of colonial governors.
Cape Town is looking at changing 39 names, after the initial list contained 238 proposed name changes. The committee is headed by Rhoda KADALIE. Changes include renaming JB Hertzog Boulevard to Nelson Mandela Boulevard; De Waal Drive to Phillip Kgosana Drive; Coen Steytler Avenue to Walter Sisulu Avenue; DF Malan Street to David Poole Street; Castle Street to Krotoa Street; Hans Strydom Avenue to Albert Luthuli Avenue; and Oswald Pirow Street to Christiaan Barnard Drive.
Durban’s recently proposed name changes led to violent protests in the city. This after opponents claimed that proper procedure had not been followed in the renaming process and that affected people had not been adequately consulted. The list contained at least 288 proposed changes. The most controversial proposal was that of renaming Kingway in Amanzimtoti after Sibusiso Andrew ZONDO, an ANC member who planted a bomb at a shopping centre in the town on the 23rd December 1985. Two women and three children were killed, 48 people were injured. He was sentenced to death in September 1986. Irma BENCINI was 48 when she died and Anna Petronella SHEARER was 43. Cornelius Francois SMIT, Willem Arie VAN WYK (2 years) and Sharon BOTHMA were the children killed.
The proposal to rename Edwin Swales VC Drive to Solomon Mahlangu Drive was just as controversial. Major Edwin SWALES was a Durban resident who joined the Natal Mounted Rifles at the outbreak of WWII and in 1941 helped to liberate Abyssinia. He became a pilot and was killed three months before the end of the war. Knowing that his damaged plane was about to crash, he held it steady, enabling his crew of nine to bale out. They survived. He was one of only two South Africans to receive the Victoria Cross in WWII.
NMR Avenue is also in the firing line, to be renamed to Masabalala Yengwa Avenue. The avenue was named after the Natal Mounted Rifles, one of South Africa's oldest regiments which is still in existence. Smith Street is to become Anton Lembede or Moses Mabhida Street. It was named after Captain Thomas Charlton SMITH. He was a Waterloo veteran who commanded the British forces who were besieged at the Old Fort in 1842.
Name changes in South Africa have been common throughout its history. When South Africa became a republic, the government of the day started changing place names. The target then was any trace of the country’s British history. A classic example of this is the military base in Pretoria — it was first known as Robert’s Heights during British rule, changed to Voortrekkerhoogte by the Nationalist government, and in 1998 changed by the ANC government to Thabo Tshwane. What governments forget, is that a country’s history cannot be changed or erased merely by changing place names.
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