Lim place names must reflect all

I truly believe that South Africa should be a reflection of its citizens’ achievements.

However, I do find the recent call to rename some municipalities after people like Mark Shope, Norman Mashabane and Collins Chabane very strange.

After more than 20 years of democracy, we need to stop distorting history. We are mugging the generations to come of their history.

Municipalities should be renamed in the spirit of addressing past injustices, not to perpetuate current injustices. Why are places renamed to only glorify ANC leaders?

No matter how many times history is rewritten, the truth remains that it was not the ANC alone who liberated South Africa from oppression. Other movements such as the PAC and AZAPO as well as countless civic organisations worked just as hard and sacrificed just as much to free the people of this country.

Therefore, if we are to honour the people who fought for our democracy, the Limpopo Provincial Geographical Names Committee should become involved in any renaming process in this province.

All liberation struggle leaders should enjoy equal treatment when it comes to immortalising their names.

I strongly feel that not only liberation struggle heroes should have streets, towns, cities or provinces named after them.

Limpopo is home to artists like Podu Mamabolo and Alleta Matshediso Motimele, soccer legends like Adries Sebola and Thomas Madigage, academics like Prof Malegapuru Makgoba and Prof Mafori Mphahlele as well as entrepreneurs like Richard Pelwana Maponya and Tom Boya. These people should be honoured too.

We will also do ourselves a disservice by ignoring the roles that our kings played in the liberation struggle and rural development. Why can’t we rename streets, towns and buildings after our kings?

By renaming these places on an equitable scale, we will preserve our true history for our children.

Those who call for biased renaming are confronting us with the truth that places still named after colonialists and oppressors have to be renamed. However, we must be cautious not to tarnish the little that we have achieved with names like Polokwane and Thabazimbi.

I challenge your to take part in rewriting South African history by researching and documenting the origin of every place name before you attack it.

• Ramakola Bopape is the coordinator of Capricorn District Community Based Organisations (CBO) Forum. He writes in his personal capacity.