About 80 residents from all over Grahamstown went to the name-change dialogue and workshop on Saturday to air their views, listen to others' and see music and drama centred around arguably the city's hottest topic.
About 80 residents from all over Grahamstown went to the name-change dialogue and workshop on Saturday to air their views, listen to others' and see music and drama centred around arguably the city's hottest topic.
The public event on Church Square hosted by the Fingo Festival saw politicians, anti-name-change groups and residents from all walks of life come to have their say.
Jock McConnachie of the Keep Grahamstown Grahamstown group, told the crowd that according to surveys done in the past, they had discovered most people here don’t have a problem with the name Grahamstown.
"We must keep the name for what it represents today," he said, adding that every Eastern Cape place has an English and isiXhosa name equivalent.
For example there is Port Elizabeth and the commonly-used Xhosa name Bhayi; Port Alfred and Cawa and Grahamstown also goes by its traditional name Rhini.
"Those who want to change the name must listen to what the people are saying," McConnachie said.
Former ward councillor Xolani Simakuhle argued that the name must be changed, seeing as it was not democratically chosen by the people.
He also said the Makana municipality will receive help from the provincial and national government because this is a matter of service delivery.
However, Simakuhle questioned the lack of ANC presence at the workshop. It is the responsibility of ANC councillors to be part of these debates, he said.
Resident Themba Mchunu said government should rather focus on fixing schools and building new universities.
The Eastern Cape matric pass rate is very poor, they must invest the money in schools, Mchunu said.
"Changing the name won't fix anything." But imposing western names on black people has been a historical injustice that still causes black people suffering, according to Masifunde Education and Development Project Trust director, Fundile Mafongosi.
"We have black people who are called Patrick and John today. What does that say about our culture and our dignity as Africans?" Mafongosi said.
He suggested that South Africa and Rhodes University also undergo name changes because it isn't right to hold onto "apartheid names" in a democratic country.
Closing the debates, Makana councillor Julie Wells said Council is going to review the name-change process.
She invited members of the public to come and watch videos concerning the name-change at the municipality.
During the three-hour event local actors and performers including the Via Kasi entertainers put a dramatic spin on the Grahamstown name-change.
Fingo Festival director Xolile Madinda thanked all who attended the event and reminded everyone that they can still submit their views of the name change to the municipality.
"The process is still on, so people must write to municipality," he said.
