Shock family response to Karoo name-change proposal

● Fierce debate rages as winds of change sweep through Karoo towns of Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen, Nieu-Bethesda and Adendorp

As the debate around proposed name changes for Karoo towns rages on, members of a family who could see Graaff-Reinet being renamed after their loved one have described the move as nothing but “cheap politics”.

Lobby group AfriForum has, meanwhile, declared war on the winds of change sweeping through the historic towns of Aberdeen, Adendorp, NieuBethesda and Graaff-Reinet.

The Eastern Cape department of sport, recreation, arts and culture unveiled the proposal during a council meeting at the Dr Beyers Naude local municipality on August 29.

The suggested name changes are:

● Graaff-Reinet: Robert Sobukwe or Fred Hufkie;

● Adendorp: Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba;

● Aberdeen: Camdeboo; and

● Nieu-Bethesda: Kwa Noheleni.

On the proposal to change Graaff-Reinet’s name to Robert

Sobukwe, Sobukwe’s grandson, Tsepo, said: “I’m honoured and appreciate the considerate effort.

“But I am a little bit torn because it’s my grandfather and he deserves the recognition, but on the other hand I’d prefer to choose a name that holds more significance for the town.

“I’m divided because there are other ways to memorialise important figures such as stalwarts.”

Sobukwe was an antiapartheid revolutionary and founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress, serving as the first president of the organisation.

Meanwhile, the family of the late Rev Fred Hufkie, a teacher and fierce critic of segregated education under apartheid who spent his life serving communities in the Great Karoo area, ripped into the proposal.

“We as the Hufkie family hereby wish to request that the name of Fred Hufkie be immediately removed from the list of possible future names for Graaff-Reinet. We wish to state unequivocally that we will not allow the name of Fred Hufkie to be involved in cheap politics and political gain,” Hufkie’s son, Eben, said.

AfriForum said it was mulling over instituting legal action and that its stance on the matter signalled a “passionate and unyielding” determination to protect what it deemed an integral part of SA’s identity.

“The proposed renaming of these four historic towns appears to be an unwarranted expenditure of taxpayer funds and lacks necessity,” AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel said.

“These towns hold significant historical value, and we intend to closely monitor the renaming process.”

Kriel said the proposed name changes were profoundly disrespectful of the residents who had called these towns home for generations.

“These areas are deeply rooted farming communities with a wealth of heritage and history, making the decision to alter their names particularly insensitive and hurtful to the people who have cherished these places for decades.

“Given the financial constraints that small towns like these already face, the potential ramifications on tourism are substantial.

“Just as we did when addressing the Tshwane name change more than a decade ago, we will not hesitate to pursue legal action if it becomes necessary.”

The DA caucus leader in the Dr Beyers Naude local municipality, Samantha GrahamMaré, also lambasted the proposal, saying that it was disheartening. Graaff-Reinet is the fourth-oldest town in the country and is a tourism area and was named after the thengovernor of the Cape, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, and his wife, whose maiden name was Cornelia Reynet.

“It’s the second-biggest economic driver in our communities, so we can’t afford to have name changes happening,” she said.

“When it comes to Adendorp, the name is derived from the surname of Reverend Isaac Hughes Adendorff, who was a prominent figure in the London Missionary Society.

“He was involved in the establishment and administration of the mission station, and the town was named in his honour.

“The new proposed name for Adendorp, Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba, was the bishop of the UCC church, the Bantu Church of Christ in Gqeberha ... so though we have a branch of that church here, it has nothing to do with Adendorp and he has no bearing in this area.

“There’s more letters in the proposed new name than there are houses in Adendorp,” Graham-Maré said.

“With respect to Aberdeen, it is named after Aberdeen, a city in Scotland, as it was a church town.

“This choice of name likely reflects the Scottish heritage of some of the early settlers and may have been chosen to honour their roots and connections to Scotland.

“And Nieu-Bethesda was also a church town.

“It is a Dutch name which can be translated as New Bethesda.

“Bethesda likely refers to the biblical Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, which is associated with healing.”

Graham-Maré said should the changes come into effect, it would hamper the growth of tourism.

“People won’t be able to find us on the map and it will affect our tourism industry and it’s going to affect every single business as they need to change websites, so the cost implications are massive.

“We need to change lives and not names.”

Dr Beyers Naude local municipality mayor Willem Saffers said it would be premature to comment now on the proposed names.

“Only two people proposed the changes,” Saffers said.

“It’s in the very early stages and its consultation processes still need to take place.”

Sarah Baartman ANC regional secretary Johannes Hobbs said individuals would offer suggestions to the department, which would then forward these submissions to the relevant municipalities where the proposed changes were to take place.

“The ANC’s input will only be considered during the public participation process.

“We endorse name changes due to historical significance, but we will voice our concerns if we find a particular name change inappropriate.

“As of now, we have not scheduled a meeting to discuss these viewpoints,” Hobbs said.