Discussions underway for name changes to six Eastern Cape towns
The South African Geographical Names Council's primary objective is to standardise geographical names throughout the country, aiming to rectify and modernise geographic naming conventions.
Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape / Wikimedia Commons: South African Tourism from South Africa
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Data provided by the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) indicates that a total of 1505 name alterations have been implemented since the initiation of the place name standardisation process.
Among these changes, 85 pertain to towns.
The Council's primary objective is to standardise geographical names throughout the country, aiming to rectify and modernise geographic naming conventions.
Some notable revisions include:
- Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha
- Morgan’s Bay to Gxarha
- Cradock to Nxuba
- Uitenhage to Kariega
- King William's Town to Qonce
- Queenstown to Komani
- Grahamstown to Makhanda
Most of the changes are to towns and cities in the Eastern Cape, except for some new names in KwaZulu-Natal.
Recently, the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC) conducted public hearings in the province to propose name changes for several towns.
The following changes include:
- Graaff-Reinet to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe
- Adendorp to Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba
- Aberdeen to Camdeboo
- Nieu-Bethesda to Kwa Noheleni
- Fort Beaufort to KwaMaqoma
- Somerset East to KwaNojoli
"I like Camdeboo, I think that's actually a nice name for Aberdeen, I mean what is Aberdeen; some place in Scotland?"
- Barbara Friedman
"I think that people make a big fuss about name changes but within a very short space of time, they become part of our lexicon."
- Barbara Friedman
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