Africa's better future
What’s in a name?: William Nicol Drive in Johannesburg, named after an administrator of the Transvaal, was last month renamed Winnie Mandela Drive. Photo: Papi Morake/Gallo Imagesen years ago, artist Haroon Gunn-Salie, armed only with a ladder and camera, changed 13 Cape Town street signs from Zonnebloem to District Six.
In September, the busy Johannesburg street William Nicol Drive was formally changed to Winnie Mandela Drive. The 2010s have seen a number of changes in Cape Town, including the return of Keizersgracht Street to its original name of Hanover Street, and the introduction of figures like Walter Sisulu, Robert Sobukwe and Helen Suzman. . Many of the province’s major towns, however — George and Stellenbosch to name just two examples — remain named after colonial figures.
Given the trajectory of name change, and a declaration of intent by the department of sports, arts and culture in its annual performance plan for 2023-24 to consider a number of cases, South Africans would be wise to brace for continued debate. If a name must be changed, the suggestion is it should be done so as a neutral one, such as the name of a geographical feature and not a person. The sentiments towards an individual are liable to be swept up by the tides of history, necessitating the need for future changes.
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