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Potch mayor gets name threat
28/06/2007 15:55 - (SA)
Potchefstroom - A group opposed to Potchefstroom's expected name change to Tlokwe have threatened to "punish" the town's residents if the mayor doesn't reverse the name change procedure within 40 days, a mayoral spokesperson said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, another street sign bearing former president Nelson Mandela's name has been defaced in the ongoing resistance to the introduction of new names in the North West town. It was found daubed with black paint on Thursday morning. Letter delivered by three white men
Kaizer Mohau, spokesperson for mayor Maphetla Maphetla, said three white men had delivered a typed letter - with a
hand-written address - to the mayor's chambers on Wednesday. In addition to demanding that the city's name stay the same, they also want all new street names to be changed back to the original ones.
"Their central demand is that we should withdraw the name change process," said Mohau.
So far at least 60% of the newly introduced street names have been defaced. Last week a street sign bearing Mandela's name was changed to Dela Rylaan, presumably after Boer War general Koos de la Rey.
A description of the people who delivered the letter has been obtained from the council's closed circuit television monitoring unit and a case of intimidation opened at the police. The council is also assessing the extent of the security precautions it needs to put in place. Won't derail
process
Mohau insisted that the threats would not derail the name change process.
"We are taking the situation very seriously. People opposed to the name changes are implementing more threatening tactics. "But we are not going to reverse anything."
The outcome of a court case opposing the name change is still pending, as is the new date for the official announcement of the name change, after the initial planned announcement was cancelled.
North West police confirmed that they were investigating the matter.
- SAPA
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