Call to abandon Pta name change

2005-05-22 09:06

Pretoria - Tshwane Metropolitan Council would abandon plans to change the name of Pretoria to Tshwane if it took its citizens seriously, said Pretoria Civil Action (PCA), organiser of Saturday's protest against the department of arts and culture.

Rubbishing reports of a small turnout at the protest, PCA spokesperson Kallie Kriel said more than 5 000 protesters had made their voices heard "loudly and clearly" in favour of retaining the name Pretoria.

They had sent a clear message to Tshwane Metropolitan Council, the South African Geographical Place Names Council (SAGPNC) and the minister of arts and culture that residents are not prepared to put up with a change in the capital's name.

In petitions handed to the office of Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan, the protesters complained that, among others, contrary to SAGPNC requirements, there had been no public participation process to test the acceptability of the name Tshwane, and that no alternatives had been offered or even considered.

They have asked the department of arts and culture not to register Tshwane as the city's name.

Pretoria was a symbol of South African pride and to change its name would be "a constitutional, historical, cultural and financial offence which concerns all South Africans and will affect the country in a profound manner," they argued.

"In essence, it is in total contrast with the aims and values of the constitution," they continued.

The marchers, led by singer Steve Hofmeyr, held up placards reading: "Tshwane is nie my pa nie (Tshwane is not my father)", "Pretoria stays Pretoria" and "Hak hak Tshwane is kak".

Although the old South African flag was also seen on display in Church Square, Kriel said marshals had been instructed to remove them and he added that there had been many more new South African flags waved.

The petitions would be handed to the SAGPNC for consideration when it decided whether to recommend the name of Tshwane to Jordan, said heritage chief director Vusithemba Ndima on receiving the petitions.

"When the council considers the recommendation of the name it will take these petitions into cognisance," he said.

The Tshwane Metropolitan Council voted in March to register the name Tshwane with the SAGPNC as a place name. This would see the metropolitan area renamed with only the city centre remaining Pretoria.

Should the name be successfully registered, it will be used on road signs, in weather reports, and all official documentation - at what protesters claim will be a cost of at least R1.5bn.

The SAGPNC will meet to discuss the name change on May 26.

The Freedom Front Plus would hold talks with Jordan on Thursday in an attempt to convince the government to change its stance on the name change, said its Pretoria spokesperson, Willie Spies.

- SAPA