Minister of Sport, Arts & Culture Zizi Kodwa has approved the town’s name change in terms of Section 10 (2) of the South African Geographical Names Council Act (Act No 118 of 1998). The name change was published in the Government Gazette dated March 22, 2024.
The name change will come as a shock to many residents, with the results of the vote in favour of the name change not indicated.
The town was named after Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, also known as ‘Lady Smith’, the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, the governor of the Cape Colony in October 1850. In October 2024, Ladysmith would have had the name for 174 years.
A name with massive historical significance, known around the world, it saw numerous actions during the Second Boer War when, after numerous small skirmishes, the town was besieged by Boer forces on November 2, 1899. After three British attempts to relieve the defenders and one Boer attempt to take the town all failed, the siege was eventually broken on February 28, 1900. Both Winston Churchill and Mahatma Gandhi were present at the siege, the former as a war correspondent and the latter as a stretcher-bearer.
uMnambithi is the traditional isiZulu name for Ladysmith and has been around for just as long. Anyone travelling by taxi from any of the major metros would board a taxi destined for uMnambithi and not Ladysmith.
Residents of Alfred Duma (Ladysmith) Municipality voted on the possible name change between November 27, 2023, and December 1, 2023.
We will update this story in our print edition, the ‘Ladysmith Gazette’.
The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Ladysmith Gazette, a sold newspaper distributed in the Ladysmith area.
Please follow us on our YouTube channel and do not be shy; please subscribe and comment as well.
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
