More than 100 furious East London residents walked out of a heated exchange during a stakeholders consultative meeting organised to discuss proposed geographical name changes in Buffalo City Metro yesterday.
After BCM District Geographical Name Change Council (DGNC) coordinator Mntwabantu Matshoba shared some background information, livid residents were clear about their disapproval of the project, which seeks to change and standardise names of some of the metro’s prominent places including East London, King William’s Town, Beacon Bay, Nahoon and West Bank.
The DGNC panel was criticised for its poor organisation of the Gompo Hall event as there was no sound system and people battled to hear.
Residents also wanted to see the research indicating a need for name changes and the historical background of the existing and proposed names.
However, it was resident Lindile Mahlomvi who got the audience fired up when he spoke about unemployment.
“I can hear all that you are saying but it is useless to us. We are requesting for the research to be provided to us first. Instead of renaming these geographical names you need to give people jobs. Young people are not doing anything in this township. They are sitting around taking part in criminal activities. I know that because I was once there too,” Mahlomvi said to applause.
“Instead of wasting and decreasing the available money you need to give people jobs. People have to eat, they are hungry.”
Makheswa Mekane, 60, said she supported a deferral of the proposal. “I am of the view that this project must go back. Do not rush this project, because it is a very difficult situation. People’s letters might get lost as addresses will change and that is a problem,” said the granny.
Another angry resident, Shirley Prince from Pefferville, said: “We don’t care about the names, we don’t want them to changed. The names are not going to change our lives.”
Prince said Pefferville residents were more concerned with pressing issues like floodlights and non- working streetlights, appalling roads, unkempt grass and inadequate infrastructure in the neighbourhood.
“Our children are playing in sewage. Pefferville used to be clean but now it is dirty, it has been neglected because the prominent people who used to live here died. The roads are in an appalling state, the small taxis do as they please. We have serious problems there,” said Prince.
More than an hour into the meeting, angry residents walked out after the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Name Change Council representative (who was only identified as Ms Maqubela and did not want to give the Dispatch her name) who was responding to the residents’ questions and comments did not want to take a point of order from one of the residents.
Shouting residents walked out in numbers while Maqubela was still talking. She told about 50 remaining residents that the process would be concluded even without those who walked out.
“We will finish this process like we have done in Grahamstown, which will now be changed to Makhanda. If you don’t want to participate that is your right but don’t stop those who do want to participate in the process. We won’t force you to stay,” she said as people walked out.
“This is not new. When we wanted to change the constitution of this country people marched out. Don’t be threatened by people who are walking out. We are not apologetic about changing the damage that was done by colonisation and apartheid in this country,” said Maqubela.
The residents were given forms to fill in for their proposed name changes, which they are to hand over to ward councillors. Public meetings will be held to decide on proposed names that will eventually be submitted to the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, for approval. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Residents walk out of meeting
After BCM District Geographical Name Change Council (DGNC) coordinator Mntwabantu Matshoba shared some background information, livid residents were clear about their disapproval of the project, which seeks to change and standardise names of some of the metro’s prominent places including East London, King William’s Town, Beacon Bay, Nahoon and West Bank.
The DGNC panel was criticised for its poor organisation of the Gompo Hall event as there was no sound system and people battled to hear.
Residents also wanted to see the research indicating a need for name changes and the historical background of the existing and proposed names.
However, it was resident Lindile Mahlomvi who got the audience fired up when he spoke about unemployment.
“I can hear all that you are saying but it is useless to us. We are requesting for the research to be provided to us first. Instead of renaming these geographical names you need to give people jobs. Young people are not doing anything in this township. They are sitting around taking part in criminal activities. I know that because I was once there too,” Mahlomvi said to applause.
“Instead of wasting and decreasing the available money you need to give people jobs. People have to eat, they are hungry.”
Makheswa Mekane, 60, said she supported a deferral of the proposal. “I am of the view that this project must go back. Do not rush this project, because it is a very difficult situation. People’s letters might get lost as addresses will change and that is a problem,” said the granny.
Another angry resident, Shirley Prince from Pefferville, said: “We don’t care about the names, we don’t want them to changed. The names are not going to change our lives.”
Prince said Pefferville residents were more concerned with pressing issues like floodlights and non- working streetlights, appalling roads, unkempt grass and inadequate infrastructure in the neighbourhood.
“Our children are playing in sewage. Pefferville used to be clean but now it is dirty, it has been neglected because the prominent people who used to live here died. The roads are in an appalling state, the small taxis do as they please. We have serious problems there,” said Prince.
More than an hour into the meeting, angry residents walked out after the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Name Change Council representative (who was only identified as Ms Maqubela and did not want to give the Dispatch her name) who was responding to the residents’ questions and comments did not want to take a point of order from one of the residents.
Shouting residents walked out in numbers while Maqubela was still talking. She told about 50 remaining residents that the process would be concluded even without those who walked out.
“We will finish this process like we have done in Grahamstown, which will now be changed to Makhanda. If you don’t want to participate that is your right but don’t stop those who do want to participate in the process. We won’t force you to stay,” she said as people walked out.
“This is not new. When we wanted to change the constitution of this country people marched out. Don’t be threatened by people who are walking out. We are not apologetic about changing the damage that was done by colonisation and apartheid in this country,” said Maqubela.
The residents were given forms to fill in for their proposed name changes, which they are to hand over to ward councillors. Public meetings will be held to decide on proposed names that will eventually be submitted to the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, for approval. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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