Mthethwa rejects objections to names

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has rejected objections raised on recent geographical name changes in the Eastern Cape.

In February his department gazetted 23 names that he had approved.

These included the change of Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha, Uitenhage to Kariega, King Williamstown to Qonce, East London Airport to King Phalo Airport and Port Elizabeth Airport to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.

Following the gazetting of the names, the department received objections, including signatures of 12 402 residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro – sent to the mayor’s office – and 690 e-mails.

The department in a statement on Sunday the objections varied from claims that insufficient consultation was done at the local level; alternative names had been ignored; the renaming would drive away tourists; or that the money spent on renaming could be better spent on service delivery.

There were also claims that the new names have nothing to do with the people of Nelson Mandela Bay metro, or are a duplication of existing place names.

Mthethwa requested the SA Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) to go through all the objections and advise him accordingly.

The council submitted evidence to Mthethwa that consultation was done throughout the province by the provincial geographical names committee before recommendations were submitted to the SAGNC.

The SAGNC further informed Mthethwa that all provisions of the SAGNC Act 118 of 1998 were followed at all processes during the consideration of the names gazetted on 23 February.