Royal Celebration

‘Medumo Yabarwa’, which played out at the 2018 National Arts Festival, is about the beauty of African song and dance. The story mourns the death of hero King Mampuru and celebrates the return of his long-lost bones.

A Grahamstown-based civic organisation is challenging the name change of the town to Makhanda.

Keep Grahamstown Grahamstown (KGG) says the recent notice published by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa in the Government Gazette was defective as it contained no reference to the fact that people had one month after the date of publication to object to the proposed name change.

KGG spokesman advocate Jock McConnachie said notices issued in respect of other recent name changes such as those of Queenstown to Komani, and Elliot to Khowa were also defective for the same reason and, as in the case of Grahamstown, did not follow a proper public consultation process in accordance with what has been laid down by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

McConnachie said the Section 10 of the South African Geographic Names Act No.118 required that such notice be given. He said that it had also not provided any address to which objections could be addressed.

“By law the minister is required to consider all objections before making a final decision on the matter and must also provide reasons for accepting or rejecting the objections. Until then the name of Grahamstown remains Grahamstown.”

He said the validity of the name changes remained open to challenge.

McConnachie said KGG had already been copied in on more than 200 objections to the name change and “more are being received by the hour.”

He said the South African Geographic Names Council (SAGNC) had confirmed to him that objections would be dealt with in accordance with the legal requirements.

“The SAGNC is not the proper body to provide such confirmation”, said McConnachie. “The minister of Arts and Culture is now seized with the matter and the confirmation must come from him directly. Such confirmation can also not correct last week’s defective notice and the minister must also explain why he issued a statement giving the misleading impression that by publication of the notice the name change became final and that Grahamstown’s name is now Makhanda. It is not,” said McConnachie.

He said the e-mail address for objections is:

Minister of Arts and Culture Hon N Mthethwa, c/o Ms Leonah Smith