'We're marching to Tshwane'

2005-05-26 18:03

Bloemfontein - The name change of Pretoria to Tshwane took another step forward on Thursday when the national geographical names council unanimously approved the recommendation.

"It took us four hours to discuss the name of Tshwane," said SAGNC chair Thomas Ntsewa.

"We fortunately did not have to vote. We unanimously agreed. The decision was a unanimous one."

Ntsewa swept aside criticism about his part in preparing the application.

"The council has applied its mind to it and decided that given the fact that I was involved in the process not for pecuniary purposes but as part of the duties of the council, I should stay.

"It would have been a problem if I had received remuneration," Ntsewa said.

The metropolitan council had in March set the wheels in motion for the historic name change that will see the city of two million and the capital of South Africa disappear from the maps.

Pretoria was named by Afrikaner settlers after Boer hero Andries Pretorius in 1855.

Mayor Smangaliso Mkhatshwa has argued that changing the name of the capital to Tshwane - which also means "we are the same" - would underscore South Africa's break with apartheid in 1994.

Only a dozen protesters were on hand carrying placards that read "Yes to Pretoria" to try to influence the outcome of the meeting.

"The fight is far from over. It is only the beginning," said Kallie Kriel of the Pretoria Civil Action campaign.

Kriel said the group, which managed to mobilise 3 000 people at a pro-Pretoria protest march over the weekend, would pile pressure on Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan to reject the recommendation and also threatened legal action to block the change.

Jordan has, however, signalled that he is ready to approve the name change.

"Those who appear to be caught up in the hysteria about the name for Pretoria would do well to remember that many of the places involved had indigenous African names before the 19th century," Jordan told parliament last week. - AFP/Sapa

- AFP