Acknowledge our history in keeping names

THE buildings which we consider old in South Africa are mere babies compared with those elsewhere in the world. In Port Elizabeth, the oldest building seems to be Fort Frederick, built by the British in 1799.

But ever since Port Elizabeth was established after the arrival of the British settlers in 1820, buildings and infrastructure based on current styles in England and elsewhere in Europe, but adapted to suit local conditions, sprung up, such as the Feather Market Hall, City Hall and Main Library. There is nothing really amazing about any of these buildings, per se.

What is amazing is that we find them here, on the tip of Africa. That is what gives them their significance.

Which brings us to the plan to change the name of the 1892 Opera House to the Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex (“Opera House’s name set to change”, June 24).

I’ve recently been in an online spat with someone associated with what was originally the 1956 King George VI Art Gallery, but in 2003 was changed to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum.

They are trying to erase our colonial history, which is one of the key elements which make this city a sought-after tourist destination. What makes us unique is the historical convergence of trekboers who migrated east, Xhosas who migrated west, indigenous Khoisan who were wedged between and then the injection of modern industrial economy ideas by the British settlers from 1820.

That combination can be made to work, despite all the travails of the past. But we don’t need to wreck and rename those parts of our heritage which are not specific to our “race group”, a term I had hoped the ANC would abandon under its non-racial policy, but which it loves to use to justify all sorts of aberrant behaviour.

So my call is to Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona to tell the city fathers that they must leave the Opera House with its original name and they must also not rename the adjacent roads – Whites Road, Belmont Terrace and Chapel Street – after these celebrated playwrights and actors, because that too is erasing part of our history.

So I urge the ANC leadership, please don’t enforce these ridiculous name changes on a city which has grown organically over 195 years, with each name reflecting a part of that growth. Rather name new things after people like Fugard, Kani and Ntshona.

My suggestion is that the extension to what is already known as “Opera House – Nelson Mandela Bay”, a quite acceptable description, be named in honour of Fugard, Kani and Ntshona.

Please, we need to unite this city across the racial divide. The EFF is doing their best to divide it by attacking colonial-era statues which are also part of our histor y.

Kin Bentley, Port Elizabeth