Honest reflection of the soul a must when seeking to change names

The process of changing the names of towns, cities and landscapes in South Africa is not one that is taken lightly. It is, and has always been, a deliberate act of reflection — anchored in history, contested in the present, and aimed at the future we seek to become. Names are not neutral markers on a map; they are vessels of memory and power.

They tell us who mattered, whose stories were elevated, and whose were erased. The current conversation about renaming East London to KuGompo City sits squarely within this national reckoning. For some, it provokes anxiety and nostalgia.

For others, it offers a long-overdue affirmation of identity. East London is a name rooted in empire— an echo of Britain transplanted onto African soil, indifferent to the indigenous histories that predate colonial arrival by centuries. It is an older truth, carried in the language, memory and everyday speech of the people who have always known this place as home.

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To restore Gompo is not to erase history, but to rebalance it. KuGompo is, in fact, the original name by which the East London area was known long before it was violently annexed by white settlers. Some of the earliest documented references toIlitye lika Gompodate back to 1687, following the wreck of the shipStavenissein the area.

Far from being an arbitrary or invented label, KuGompo is therefore anchored in deep historical memory. Ilitye lika Gompoalso occupies a significant place in Xhosa spiritual tradition. It is regarded as a sacred site where paternal ancestral spirits are believed to reside in the water, and where the ill may seek healing by visiting the cove.

It was atIlitye lika Gompothat the renowned Xhosa prophet Makhanda, also known as Nxele, intended to call upon the ancestors from the sea to assist the Xhosa nation in driving away white colonial forces. Gompo, in this sense, is not merely a name — it is a spiritual geography. During my time as spokesperson for the late minister of sport, arts and culture Nathi Mthethwa, I witnessed firsthand how seriously the South African state treats questions of heritage, memory and identity.

One moment remains particularly instructive. In Bahrain, at a UNESCO Congress, Mthethwa led SA’s delegation to witness the inclusion of the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains on the World Heritage List — our country’s tenth such site. That recognition was not accidental.

It was the result of years of scientific research, diplomatic engagement and a clear articulation of why African landscapes, long dismissed or exploited, are central to humanity’s shared story. Barberton’s ancient rocks — among the oldest on Earth — reminded the world that Africa is not merely a backdrop to history, but its cradle.

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