Toponymy in South Africa

toponymy in South Africa is in full evolution since 1994 and the advent of the first multiracial government, pretense to take the same way as the Zimbabwe.

For a few years, the process has accelerated to rename the place names whereas at the same time, the tensions went up in the Township S against the national government but especially against the local elites accused of corruptions and to be unable to reduce misery and the Criminalité.

The choice of the place names is carried out on three levels:

  • at the local level: a Administration, a Municipalité or a Province request that an official building, a Airport, a City or a province are renamed.
  • this request is transmitted to the geographical Council of the South-African Names (there also exists a qualified provincial branch) which checks that the procedure of public consultation was observed, that the old name was dividing, unsuited or that there was a former African name, in order to make a recommendation with the Minister for arts and culture.
  • the minister for arts and the valid culture or not the recommendation and from there, a 30 days deadline is offered so that the opponents can put forward their claims in front of a court. The time once passed or the recourse refused, the name change is officialized.

In the facts, this procedure was not always observed; the Council always adopted a broad definition of the insulting or preexistent names and the minister forever dared to refuse a positive recommendation. In addition, the council of the names can itself take the initiative and ask the local governments to make proposals.

Always in the facts, in fact well the names afrikaner S were mainly victims of the changes toponymic and which often disappear completely from the provincial chart. Recently, the anglophone names are aimed. Consequently, the doubt settles in the white community in connection with the perenniality of their place in and reality South Africa of the existence of a Nation multiracial and multicultural. Thus, more and more from white, in particular afrikaners, came from there to speak about true ethnic cleaning undertaken by the members about ANC.

In the actual position, here the changes toponymic by province intervened since 1994:

Transvaal

The Transvaal was dismantled in 4 provinces at the end of the constitutional negotiations: Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-western and Gauteng

Limpopo

Baptized Transvaal of north then in 1995, Province of north, this province afrikaner took the name of Limpopo in 2001.

Here the list of the places of Limpopo renamed (old name quoted in first):

  • Pietersburg : Polokwane (name without historical significance)

  • Potgietersrus: Mokopane (of the name of the chief Makapan, assassin of Piet Potgieter)
  • Nylstroom: Modimolle (" place esprits")
  • Warm Baths/Warmbad : Bela (preexistent indigenous name) bleated
  • Messina: Musina
  • Louis Trichardt: Makhado (name change cancelled by decision of the courts)
  • Dendron: Mogwadi
  • Bochum: Senwa Barwana
  • Ellisras: Lephalale
  • Hoedspruit: Marulaneng
  • Soekmekaar: Morbeng
  • Duiwelskloof: Modjadji
  • Edinburgh : Akani Village (in progress)
  • Burgersfort: in progress
  • Groblersdal: in progress

In May 2005, the following rivers received the downstream of the geographical Council of the names to be renamed:

  • Olifant' S To rivet: Lepelle
  • Koedoes To rivet: Modketzi
  • Hout To rivet: Mogwadi
  • Dwars To rivet: Mononono
  • Brandboontjies To rivet: Mosukudutzi
  • Blood To rivet: Mulaudzi
  • Sand To rivet: Polokwane

Gauteng

  • Verwoerdburg : Centurion (renamed since 1995)
  • Pretoria: the proposal of Tshwane to indicate the South-African capital was still not approved by the central government. Pretoria will remain in all the cases the name of the historical downtown area.
  • district of Triomf: Sophiatown (return in the name of origin in January 2006)

Mpumalanga

Old Transvaal of the East became the Mpumalanga in 1995. The following places would have or are in way to be renamed:
  • Nelspruit : in progress
  • Witbank: Emalahleni (in progress)
  • Lydenburg: Mashishing (in progress)
  • Sabie: Enjabulweni (in progress)
  • Standerton: Sakhile (in progress)
  • Kriel: Kwanala (means " abondance" in isiZulu) - in progress
  • Malelane: Malalane (warlike Swazi) - in progress
  • Grootboom: Mangcuzu (in the honor of king Swazi Mangcuzu Dlamini) - in progress
  • Kameelrivier village: Babethu (in progress)
  • Schoemansdal: Kamatsamo (in the honor of Prince Matsamo Shongwe) - in progress
  • Mgobodzi village: KaMawewe (in the honor of Prince Mawewe Mkhatshwa) - in progress
  • Tweedronk: Zibhebhuville (in memory of the activist Zibhebhu Nyembe) - in progress
  • Ackerville: Thomas Mahlanguville (in memory of an activist of the ANC) - in progress
  • Eerstehoek: Ekulindeni (in isiZulu, means " place of attente")- in progress
  • Kafferskraal: Ezimbuthumeni (in progress)
  • Boesmanspruit: Waterval (in progress)
  • Kafferskraalkop: Endlulamithini (in progress)
  • Boesmanskraal: Empangeleni (in progress)
  • Paayzynpan: Ditlhagane (in progress)
  • Ebersnake: Edludluma (in progress)
  • Hectorspruit: Emjejane (in progress)
  • Kwaggafontein: Somphalali (in progress)
  • Blyde To rivet: Motlatsi (2005)
  • Louis' Creek: Ekhandizwe (in progress)
  • Krokodil To rivet: Umgwenya (in progress)
  • Buffelspruit village: Mhlambanyatsi (in progress)
  • Kwarrielaagte: Ntwane (in progress)
  • Haartebeespruit: Moloto (in progress)
  • Treur To rivet: Sefogane To rivet (2005)

  • National park Kruger: Several wishes that the park is renamed Nelson Mandela

Province of the North-West

Native

The meeting of Native with the Zoulouland gave birth in 1994 to the KwaZulu-Native . The following places could be renamed:
  • Durban : the project to see the city taking the name of its metropolis, " eThekwini" ,
  • Stanger seems abandoned: Kwa Dukuza

Free state (Free State)

There were 100 municipalities in old the free State of Orange (of which one on four was controlled by the Conservative party of South Africa. Since 2000, this number was tiny room to 25 by fusion-concentration. They all are dominated by ANC. In November 2005, several of them and two rivers were proposed for a new name:
  • Bloemfontein : Thabure (name of the horse of a Basotho chief)
  • Harrismith: Mengkhoaneng
  • Fouriesburg : Fothane
  • Senekal : Kuretlele
  • Ficksburg : Joalabeholo
  • Ladybrand : Mabolela
  • Clocolan : Hlohloloane
  • Sand To rivet: Tikoe
  • Vet To rivet: Tikoane

The Cape Province

Province of theEastern one

The province of the Cape-Eastern was not débaptisée fault of finding another name consensual whereas the Cape of Good Hope, at the name of which it refers, is located in the province of the Cape-Westerner. Several cities should be renamed however in spite of many constestations of the various black communities or white:
  • Grahamstown : The name of this university town was vilified in 2005 by the South African president Thabo Mbeki which wishes that it quickly bear the indigenous name of " Rhini".
  • East London : Monti or Gompo (project)
  • Port Elizabeth: Bhayi (no consensus)
  • Umtata: Mthata (nonofficial)
  • King William' S Town: Qonce (project)
  • Cradock: Kaladokhwe (project)
  • Adelaide: Khobonqaba (project)
  • Queenstown: Komani (in progress)
  • Whittlesea: Hewu (in progress)

The fate of the names of the following cities should be also studied in 2006: Uitenhage, Graaff-Reinet, Mount Ayliff, MT Brother, Komga, Strong Beaufort, Keiskammahoek, Middledrift, Cookhouse, Somerset East, Humansdorp, Alexandria, Port Alfred, Kirkwood, Alicedale, Sterkstroom, Middelburg, Hofmeyr, Tarkastad, Burgersdorp, Aliwal North and Barkly East.

Province of the Cape-Westerner

  • George: Outeniqua of the name of the mountainous chain which forms the background of the City (suggestion)
  • Mossel Bay: Gouriqua (suggestion)
  • Oudtshoorn: (Suggestion)
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