Communities given a month to object to new town names

Communities across the Eastern Cape have been given a month to object toseveral town name changesafter they were gazetted on Friday. Meanwhile, the DA has criticised sport, arts and culture ministerGayton McKenzie, accusing him of having allegedly misled communities after long-disputed town name changes were gazetted on Friday, despite assurances they would not go ahead. In January, McKenzie approved 21 geographical name changes across SA.

For the province,the approved name changes include: Aside from those, the famous Barkly Pass will now be known as Mbombo Pass (R58) and Kraai River Pass as Tyumbu Pass. DA MPL Leander Kruger said the party was mobilising support to object to the proposed name changes. They were also waiting for responses from the provincial and national Name Changes Committee regarding how the rejected names, seemingly, had been allowed to be processed.

“The DA will be actively assisting residents to object in the correct and legally compliant manner. “We will be providing individual objection letters for residents to complete and will also make online objection forms available for those who are unable to visit us in person. “All completed objections will be submitted to the department within the prescribed one-month objection period.

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“It is critical that as many objections as possible are lodged within this timeframe. “The DA supports reconciliation and nation-building in SA.

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