'Name changes dishonest'

2010-01-15 17:14

Johannesburg - The ongoing process of name changing is dishonest, the Afrikanerbond said on Friday.

Afrikanerbond managing director Jan Bosman said a letter to President Jacob Zuma on the Afrikanerbond's official objection to the changing of 42 names had gone unanswered, despite the president's pronouncements in his state of the nation address last year.

Zuma said: "We will ensure a common national approach to the changing of geographic and place names. This must provide an opportunity to involve all South Africans in forging an inclusive national identity, to deepen our understanding of our history and heritage."

The promise of consensus had not commenced and any consideration of name changes was dishonest, Bosman said. They were "possibly in conflict with previous cabinet decisions as well as the direction as indicated by President Zuma".

He was reacting to a decision to change the name of Louis Trichardt back to Makhado.

Louis Trichardt became Makhado in 2002, but the name was changed back to Louis Trichardt in 2005 after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruled there had not been proper consultation.

The name change was now back on the table, the Geographical Names Council said on Thursday.

It said that after scrutinising new submissions, the council would prepare its submissions and forward them to Arts and Culture Minister Lulu Xingwana.

The council was also waiting for Xingwana to make a pronouncement on changing the name of Pretoria to Tshwane.

The council on Thursday announced that the new airport at La Mercy, near Durban, would be known as King Shaka International Airport.

- SAPA