Today, 24 September 2024, we come together in Graaff-Reinet to commemorate Heritage Day and celebrate a victory for four Karoo communities and their heritage.
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Recently, the new Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture announced that the names of our towns – Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen, Nieu-Bethesda, and Adendorp – will remain unchanged.
However, a cloud still looms over us in the form of Mr. Christian Martin, the Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee. He has stated in the media that the process is not final and that name changes may still be considered.
Over eight public participation meetings it was clear that our communities do not want these name changes. Even the South African Geographical Names Committee recommended against renaming our towns.
Yet, Mr. Martin persists in the face of this opposition.
I have spoken with the new Minister, and I am confident that this matter has been settled. The Minister is the final arbiter in this process, and we firmly believe that our towns’ names will remain as they are.
Let Mr. Martin try but be warned: The DA will explore all avenues to challenge the process including legal recourse should grounds exist for such a challenge.
We are willing to do so because I attended all eight public hearings on the name change issue, and I can attest to the unity of our residents.
We submitted several petitions with over 8 000 signatures opposing these changes to the former Minister and provided written objections from the DA, residents, and other major stakeholders to his office. The support against renaming our towns was overwhelming and decisive.
The town of Graaff-Reinet, which has more than 200 heritage sites relies heavily on tourism and agriculture as main economic drivers and sources of employment, and changing its recognisable name would hurt both sectors and lead to job losses. This would devastate a town where half of the residents are unemployed.
Renaming towns also costs millions of rands. The Dr Beyers Naudé Municipality remains a water-scarce region, and the funds spent on frivolous name changes could be better allocated to much-needed repairs to crumbling water infrastructure and service delivery.
Without water and service delivery, coupled with the negative tourism impact associated with name changes, residents will be forced to relocate, the economy will collapse, and jobs will be lost.
For this reason, it is vital that the government engages with and listens to the communities it serves.
The DA is in the process of drafting a Private Member’s Bill (PMB) to amend the existing name change legislation. We believe that the current South African Geographical Names Council Act and the Handbook on Geographical Names are inadequate in guiding a fair and democratic process for name changes, and there are no consequences for failing to adhere to the Handbook’s prescripts.
The names of towns should not be changed on the whim of one person against the wishes of an entire community.
Additionally, we believe that the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) should not be used to shield the names of individuals who engage in a public process, such as applying for a name change. Our PMB aims to address these and other shortcomings within the current statutory process.
We recognise the important role that name changes play in redressing and restoring heritage, but not if the process is unfair and does not improve people’s lives.
The DA has shown its commitment to preserving and celebrating the rich tapestry of our diverse heritage. We believe in a future where the Eastern Cape goes from strength to strength, and every heritage can be celebrated and honoured for the benefit of all.