Thousands march as Graaff-Reinet residents reject name change

Residents do not want a Graaff-Reinet Name change. Picture Supplied The renaming of historical Eastern Cape town Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town has triggered mounting resistance from residents who say the move risks dividing a community already struggling with serious service delivery challenges. On Saturday, thousands of residents took to the streets sporting “Hands off Graaff-Reinet” T-shirts, marching in protest of the imminent name change.

A resident and business owner toldThe Citizenthat the cost of changing signage, maps and literature will amount to millions of rands, much of which the town could ill afford. “It’s also about history,” they said. “Does the ANC and the PA simply want to erase history and heritage altogether?” The 240-year old town was named after Dutch governor Cornelis Jacob van der Graaff and the Reinet comes from his wife Cornelia’s maiden name.

Earlier this year, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie approved the renaming of the Karoo town in honour of Pan Africanist Congress founder Robert Sobukwe, born there in 1924. The change to Robert Sobukwe Town was gazetted on 6 February, the public has until 6 March to register objections. The DA’s Samantha Graham-Maré said in February that the party strongly opposes the name change.

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“The DA has been fighting the proposed name changes to Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Adendorp since 2023 and we are not about to give up now. “Our resolve only grew after McKenzie brazenly misled and betrayed the people of the Eastern Cape. “Just a year and a half ago, he told the media he would not approve the name change for Graaff-Reinet, insisting the province faced far more urgent crises,” said Graham-Maré

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