Two Eastern Cape towns could soon disappear from the map

Two familiar Eastern Cape town names could look very different in the future, with proposals to rename Graaff-Reinet and Port Alfred moving through different stages of the official process.

While South Africa has seen a number of name changes over the years, these two proposals are far from settled.

Graaff-Reinet could become Robert Sobukwe Town

The proposed name change for Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town is currently facing a legal challenge.

According to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Minister initially declined to approve the proposed name after finding that there was insufficient information.

The matter was referred back to the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC), after which the proposal was considered again.

The Minister subsequently approved the name change and it was gazetted.

However, the decision is now before the High Court for review.

The department has said it will provide the court with the relevant record of the decision, while the Minister will not comment on the merits of the challenge because the adequacy of the consultation process is part of the court proceedings.

For now, Graaff-Reinet remains the official name while the legal process continues.

Port Alfred could become iCawa or iCoyi

Further down the coast, Port Alfred could also eventually receive a new name.

The proposed alternatives are iCawa or iCoyi, but the process has not yet reached the stage where the national council can make a recommendation.

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture said the proposal has not yet been formally submitted to the SAGNC.

There are also already High Court proceedings relating to the public participation process conducted by the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee.

Ratepayers, residents and business organisations have raised objections, with the outcome of those proceedings still awaited.

Port Alfred’s current name dates back to 1860, when it was named in honour of Prince Alfred, the son of Queen Victoria.

What about Grahamstown?

Unlike the two towns above, the Department said that Grahamstown is no longer an unresolved name-change proposal.

The town was officially renamed Makhanda in 2018, and a subsequent legal challenge was dismissed by the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in 2022.

That means its status is considerably different from the ongoing disputes surrounding Graaff-Reinet and Port Alfred.

For now, both of those towns continue to use their existing names, but their futures could look very different depending on the outcome of the legal and administrative processes still under way.