Opera House’s name set to change
‘Title should be in line with geographical location’
THE Port Elizabeth Opera House could soon be known as the Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex – if the institution’s new board gets its way. At a press conference yesterday, general manager Monde Ngonyama said renaming the 123-year-old institution – which has undergone a few name changes in the past – was a bid to align it with its geographical location, Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The board took a decision to change the institution’s name. It is known as the Port Elizabeth Opera House and the board looked at the geographical placing of our locality, which has since changed from Port Elizabeth to Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said.
“We saw even the university following suit on that. We also have the stadium and what used to be the Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Percci) is now the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. We felt that in order for this institution to raise its head, it needs to take the name of the city and therefore become the Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex.
The complex incorporates the St Mary’s church hall which the Opera House uses as an arts hub.
Ngonyama said the Port Elizabeth Opera House board was still doing a legal check to see if the proposed name was not in use elsewhere. If not, the name will be changed. Ngonyama also announced the new board members, elected last week, as Buli G Ngomane, Xolani Tshanyana, Dr Linda Kwatsha, Marian Lucouw, Christian Martin and Sicelo Mleve.
Ngonyama said the renaming of the Opera House could go well with the proposed renaming of Whites Road, Chapel Street and Belmont Terrace to honour three of the country’s theatre legends, Dr John Kani, Dr Winston Ntshona and Athol Fugard.
Ngonyama had sent a request to the municipality to that effect.
Ngonyama also expressed unhappiness with the budget allocated to the Opera House, saying it was inexcusable. “This press conference comes two weeks after the mayor presented his budget and the Integrated Development Plan (IDP),” he said.
“We paid painstaking attention to the budget on Friday, going through the 400-odd pages of the IDP.
“Probably another announcement is to be made by the municipality because for artists, the budget and the IDP are saying nothing new.
“But the government will use terms to explain that it is for a five-year cycle . . . we understand that, but it is inexcusable.” He said Cape Town’s ArtsCape got R47-million a year from the government, while the Opera House received only R1.1-million.