Streets, public institutions due for a name change – MEC
Grobler Street and Pietersburg Provincial Hospital are among the proposals due for name changes in Polokwane.
POLOKWANE – This follows an announcement made by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture MEC, Onicca Moloi that she was planning to rename some of the province’s streets and public institutions.
Moloi and the Limpopo Provincial House of Traditional Leaders (LPHTL) recently agreed that traditional leaders should play an active role in the planned process to rename some of the province’s streets and public institutions.
“Traditional leaders are the true custodians of our heritage, we can’t begin this process without their input which we value very much”
Moloi held a meeting with representatives of the LPHTL, Chairperson Kgoši Malesela Dikgale and executive committee member Kgošigadi Ramadimetja Chuene to discuss the way forward on the matter.
Moloi said the Health MEC, Dr Phopho Ramathuba had some proposals for the names of existing public health institutions.
Kgoši Dikgale expressed appreciation for Moloi’s decision to involve traditional leadership in the process. “Whatever the department does on cultural matters and rural sport, we should always be involved,” he said.
The Limpopo Geographical Names Committee, established in terms of Section 2 (2) (a) of the South African Geographical Names Act 118 of 1998 will spearhead the mandatory public consultation processes in the renaming process.
Moloi has instructed the committee to immediately start with all legislative processes.
Moloi said citizens of the province will also have the opportunity to propose names they believe would propel the transformation agenda.
“Our province is a melting pot of different cultures and we have an obligation to make sure this diversity is fairly represented in our public spaces.
“I have already proposed that we rename the Olympic Towers building after Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya because of her unequalled athletic prowess and inspiring resilience,” said Moloi.
She further said Semenya was happy with the decision and that the Health MEC would soon make a presentation with the Limpopo Geographical Names committee and point out the health institutions she wants to rename.
