Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
The long and drawn out controversy over Port Elizabeth’s name change to Gqeberha has come to the end of the road.
Since February, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has rejected over 12,000 objections to this and other name Eastern Cape name changes.
Other than Port Elizabeth, other name changes include Uitenhage, which will become Kariega, King Williamstown which becomes Qonce, East London Airport to King Phalo Airport, and Port Elizabeth Airport to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.
In a statement on Sunday, Mthethwa’s spokesperson Masecha Khumalo said the renaming was made in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
The commission had suggested that many geographical locations situated in the Eastern Cape should be named after those who contributed in the struggle against apartheid.
In March, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Mayor Nqaba Bhanga urged residents to voice their objections to the name Gqeberha directly to Mthethwa.
Some of the concerns raised were that new names would impact tourism and that they had nothing to do with the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.
The statement explained that after consulting with the South African Geographical Names Council, Mthethwa decided that the objections don’t merit a review of the decision.
Image source: DespatchLive
