Committee pushes preference
IT is not true that ratepayers are fighting name changes in Buffalo City. The Buffalo City Ratepayers Forum agrees to names being changed but only if it occurs in terms of the process stipulated in the “Handbook on Geographic Names”, the official policy of SA Geographic Names Council (SAGNC).
It says an application must be made on an official application form together with a second choice, and there must not only be a motivation but proof that the stakeholders in the area where the name change is proposed – the “local community” – have been consulted.
Forms must be distributed by ward councillors.
If anybody wishes to propose a name change, they can complete the form and submit it to the Buffalo City Metro district geographical name change committee via their ward councillor.
The committee will consider all proposals, whereafter public participation will take place, including a public hearing.
On the one hand the committee members said the meeting at the City Hall was simply to create awareness and explain the process.
But on the other hand negated that by motivating names which they themselves had generated, despite questions at various points about the origin of these names – which were never answered by the committee.
Has the process in terms of the handbook been followed for the proposed name changes? The fact that the committee have structured meetings at venues and at times which excluded many people (only about eight members of the public attended the meeting for the whole of East London), as well as the fact that they have already generated a list of names pre-empting the process, strongly suggests the committee have an agenda of promoting their own names. — Christo Theart, Buffalo City Ratepayers Forum
Advice ANC can take
THANK you, Daily Dispatch for publishing the brilliant article “ANC must itself be transformed” by Palesa Morudu (DD, March 1). The governing Party needs to read and reread what she advises there, and then start to walk the talk!
Is Ms Morudu willing to enter politics? She would certainly get my vote, hands down! What an incisive take on what the ANC needs to do right now! — Rev Canon Graeme Deas, East London
Don’t fool the people
SOMEHOW the term Sopa used as a noun could be the most perfect word for this yearly occurrence, particularly relating to the fashion craze that accompanies it.
Sport, recreation, arts and culture MEC Pemmy Majodina, said to her boss and Premier Phumulo Masualle, regarding a situation of retrogressive poverty, radical increasing unemployment, and top of the tree inequality, “[these] are still a reality but it is not of your making, Premier”.
Talk about fawning. She went on to blame that old flame apartheid. Of course, the delinquent Zupta plundering of a decade, skeletons etcetera, had absolutely nothing to do with this situation.
You can fool some of the people... — Rob Prestwich, Eastern Cape
An age old problem
I LOVE politics but I'm not a politician. However, my concern is the ages of members of parliament.
Look at the cabinet of South Africa – Cyril Ramaphosa 65 years, Naledi Pandor 64 years, Jeff Radebe 65 years, Derek Hanekom 65 years, Beki Cele 65 years, Pravin Gordhan 68 years, Lindiwe Sisulu 63 years.
Yes, the ANC is the ruling party but where is the educated young blood in the ANC, or is this part of democracy.
What I’m really interested to know is the retirement age for politicians in Mzantsi. — Xolani Dickson Tokota, Mntlabati Location, Berlin