Nelspruit name changes on cards

2007-04-20 21:12

Guy Jepson

Nelspruit - Proposals to rename the Mpumalanga capital of Nelspruit are expected to be discussed this weekend.

Some suggested names are reportedly Mbombela City, Mhlangeni and Naspoti.

The local geographical names committee will sit on Saturday to consider submissions from, not only Nelspruit, but also Hazyview and White River residents for new street, town and settlement names.

Five street names in the three towns were changed amid some controversy last year, but proposed changes to 15 other names, including the towns themselves, still have to be considered.

Committee still receiving proposals

"It is difficult to say which names may or may not be changed - it will depend on submissions from people," Mbombela municipality spokesperson Vusi Sibiya said on Thursday.

"The committee is still receiving proposals. These will then be advertised in newspapers, including the lists of proposed new names and those that will be re-confirmed.

The public will be given 21 days to debate and respond to the proposed names.

"Thereafter we shall start with public participation and respond to the correspondence. Then we shall take the items to council for finalisation. Only after council's approval can we say which names will change."

Sibiya said the process was part of a five-year programme of the Geographical Names Commission "to let communities decide on names that are not offensive to them and represent their wishes".

Anthony Benadie, the DA's provincial sports, arts and culture spokesperson, said the party agreed that offensive place names should be changed to promote reconciliation "but you can hardly argue that the words Nelspruit, Hazyview and White River are offensive".

Benadie added: "The ANC is using big brother bully tactics to push these things through to create the illusion that they are doing something. They're renaming everything instead of initiating and developing economic prosperity in the province."

- African Eye