The DA has written to the Chairperson of the Limpopo Provincial Geographical Names Committee (LPGNC), Gerald Twala, to request the complete application documents which prompted the decision to hold a consultation meeting on the name changes of towns and significant places within the Tzaneen Local Municipality.
A letter to the Municipal Manager requesting a meeting for 24 November 2023 is based on the applications of only 3 people, who individually applied for name changes of 11 significant places within the municipality.
The proposed name changes for Tzaneen is Tshaneng Town and Haenertsburg to Bjatladi Ga-Makgoba.
While redress is crucial, Haenertsburg and Tzaneen were not established through a war or any displacement of local people.
Some of the proposed name changes do not meet the criteria stipulated in the South African Geographical Name Changes Handbook; a street name does not fall under the jurisdiction of the LPGNC.
It is concerning that the LPGNC has proceeded with a name change process which by their own standards are unsuitable.
This is further indicative that the process is merely for political gain before the upcoming elections to distract voters from serious service delivery challenges within the Tzaneen municipality.
The cost implications of such a pet project by the ruling party is a slap in the face of our communities who have yet to recover from the hardships caused by the Covid pandemic and the ANC’s continued inability to provide basic services and opportunities.
The DA will introduce an online petition to the community of Tzaneen ,who is already outraged by this process, and will submit it to the Name Change Committee and the parliamentary petitions committee as well as to the Limpopo Provincial Geographical Names Committee.