D-Day in Pta name-change row

2005-05-09 17:20

Johannesburg - The controversy surrounding the Pretoria-Tshwane name change could be put to rest by July, said the South African Geographic Names Council (SAGNC) on Monday.

"There is a meeting on the May 26 to debate the issue. From there, we will forward our recommendations to the minister (Pallo Jordan) and he will take the final decision," said SAGNC chairperson Tommy Ntsewa.

The prospect of Pretoria having its name changed to Tshwane has drawn a strong reaction, and emotions have been running high.

Pretoria metro council spokesperson William Baloyi argued that to a large degree the row had been based on misinformation.

"It's not that we want to take Pretoria's name away and give it another.

"Pretoria remains Pretoria," he said, explaining that what did change was that the city now existed under "a new geographic region" that had not existed before.

'Legislative authority taken away'

He said Pretoria was now a city just like its western neighbour, Atteridgeville, and its southern neighbour, Centurion, were.

"And they now all fall under the geographic name of Tshwane metropolitan council," he said.

Baloyi said that what had been removed from Pretoria was its legislative authority when it ceased to be a city council in 2002.

He said, however, that what still needed to be thrashed out was what exactly constituted the city of Pretoria.

"Exactly how big Pretoria is, is still to be looked at," he said.

- SAPA