Graaff-Reinet is expected to undergo a name change to Robert Sobukwe Town following the approval of a broader series of 21 geographical name changes by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie.

According to Graaff-Reinet Advertiser, the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) has confirmed that these approvals are in place but noted that the process has not been finalised as it still needs to be formally gazetted, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Historic town and proposed new name

Graaff-Reinet is the fourth-oldest town in South Africa, established in 1786 and named after the then Cape governor Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff and his wife Reinet.

The proposed new name would honour Robert Sobukwe, an anti-apartheid activist and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress.

Earlier proposals and opposition

The proposed renaming of Graaff-Reinet to either Robert Sobukwe or Fred Hufkie, as well as the renaming of three other towns in the Dr Beyers Naudé municipal area, Adendorp to Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba, Aberdeen to Camdeboo, and Nieu-Bethesda to Kwa Noheleni, was announced by Mark Mandita, a representative of the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, during a special council meeting on August 29, 2023.

The proposal was met with strong opposition from local residents and, based on this, the national council, SAGNC, declined in 2024 to recommend the name changes.

At the time, the Eastern Cape provincial council indicated that the matter had not been concluded, explaining that the application had been rejected due to insufficient supporting information, which could be addressed in future submissions.

When Mandita announced the proposed renaming of Dr Beyers Naudé towns, he asserted that the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 prohibits the department from disclosing the identities of the two applicants who submitted the proposals.

Azania Movement involvement

However, a press statement released by the Azania Movement on Tuesday revealed that Nolubabalo Mcinga, the president of the movement and a native of Graaff-Reinet, tabled a Motion Without Notice in 2024 calling for the renaming to honour Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe while serving in the National Council of Provinces representing the EFF.

According to the Azania Movement, the process faced delays, primarily due to concerns regarding public participation and petitions opposing the renaming, but Mcinga, with academic support from historian Dr JJ Klaas (PhD, Cambridge University), challenged these delays by engaging directly with the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC), requesting access to petitions and ensuring that the people’s submissions were fully considered.

Ministerial approval confirmed

Subsequently, the deputy chairperson of the SAGNC, Johnny Mohlala, confirmed that during a meeting on Monday, the ECPGNC submitted the names for standardisation, and McKenzie formally approved the renaming of Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town, alongside other Eastern Cape name changes.

“For the people of Robert Sobukwe Town, the renaming corrects a colonial legacy and restores historical dignity. Our next step will be to advocate for the renaming of the country itself, as ‘South Africa’ is not a proper name but a geographic direction on the continent,” Mcinga stated.

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