Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Minister Gayton McKenzie. Picture: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images The DA has accused Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie of misleading people after he approved the name changes of 21 towns in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). DA MP Samantha Graham-Maré said the approval of the name changes took place without “consultation and transparent decision-making”.
On Friday, theDepartment of Sports, Arts and Culture confirmedthat 21 towns in South Africa will officially be renamed. The geographical areas to be renamed in the Eastern Cape and KZN include East London and Graaff-Reinet. They will be changed to KuGompo City and Robert Sobukwe Town, respectively.
Residents in both East London and Graaff-Reinet have opposed previous attempts to change the names of their areas. East London’s name change to KuGompo was previously rejected because another small town in the Eastern Cape already had that name. The DA’s Graham-Maré said McKenzie had said in 2024 that he was not approving the name changes.
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“In 2024, Minister McKenzie indicated that he had rejected the application because there was insufficient evidence that the public’s concerns had been considered. The question we are asking is what has changed since then?” She added that although the department said public consultations had taken place, residents and businesses in the affected areas say otherwise. “Many affected parties report feeling sidelined, unheard, or informed only after key decisions had already been made.”
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