The name KuGompo City, proposed as the new official name for East London, has roots that stretch back to the late 1800s. Bonisile Grey, who submitted the proposal, said KuGompo was the original name for the region, inspired by the sound of waves crashing against Gompo Rock — now known as Cove Rock — a sacred site for the amaXhosa people. Grey explains that the name comes from the natural “Gompo, Gompo” sound made by the waves at the rock, a place where Xhosa kings and the prophet Nxele gathered during the frontier wars for spiritual ceremonies.
Grey urged residents to “accept and embrace” the name that has sparked widespread debate. This comes after reports in the Daily Dispatch that sports, arts & culture minister Gayton McKenzie has approved 21 geographical name changes across SA, including East London and four other towns in the province. However, Grey, who made the submission to rename East London in 2020, said the region had been known as KuGompo as early as the late 1800s.
Grey also submitted a proposal in 2018 to rename the East London airport King Phalo Airport. This, too, sparked a public debate, with the AmaGqunukhwebe royal council arguing it should be renamed the Chief Pato Airport instead. Grey argued at the time that Chief Pato already had a fort outside East London named after him, Fort Pato, but nothing in the province had been named after King Phalo.
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Grey further attracted controversy when he submitted a proposal to rename Macleantown, on the N6 outside East London, to Mpongo, and Nahoon to Nxarhuni, which he argues is their original names. Speaking to the Dispatch from his home last week, Grey said the name eMonti did not carry any meaning.
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