GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - There is considerable uncertainty regarding the current status of the name change applications for towns in the Dr Beyers Naude municipal area. 

This follows after a resident picked up last week that Aberdeen's name is reflected as Camdeboo on Google and Google Maps.

 Camdeboo was the proposed new name for Aberdeen that was announced by the Eastern Cape Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, represented by Mark Mandita, during a special council meeting on 29 August last year.

Other proposed name changes were:

• Robert Sobukwe or Fred Hufkie for Graaff-Reinet,
• Kwa Mseki Bishop Limba for Adendorp, and
• Kwa Noheleni for Nieu-Bethesda.

From the onset the proposed name changes were vehemently opposed by several local stakeholders and most residents, primarily on the basis of lack of transparency and public participation.

In July this year, the changes were rejected by the South African Council for Geographical Names of which newly appointed Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie is a member.

Process 'not finalised'

However, this victory for the name change opposition was short-lived as uncertainty was sparked by a Daily Maverick article that Graaff-Reinet's name may still change because the process had apparently "not been finalised". 

Dailymaverick.co.za reporter, Estelle Ellis, wrote that the Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC), Christian Martin, said that these processes had not been finalised and that these changes may still be implemented.

In response to this, residents demanded an investigation into the process, again claiming a lack of public participation and transparency. 

It was alleged that, despite the fact that the majority of residents opposed the renaming at the public hearing in all of the affected towns, the ECPGNC still submitted a proposal to Council on 14 May to change Graaff-Reinet's name to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe. 

This comes after family members of the late Fred Hufkie requested that his name be removed as a possible future name for Graaff-Reinet. 

At the time no mention was made of any proposals before Council to change Aberdeen to Camdeboo.

Question to Minister

The DA's Samantha Graham-Maré says DA MP, Liam Jacobs, a member of the portfolio committee of Sports, Arts and Culture, will ask McKenzie for clarity. The DA has also been opposing the proposed name changes from the onset.

"If we find it has not been Gazetted, we will contact Google to get it corrected. If it has been Gazetted, we will lodge a complaint with the Minister for failing to allow a period for objections," Graham-Maré says.

In the meantime, concerned Aberdeen resident and former chairperson of the Aberdeen Tourist Association, Sterna Thwaites, advised that those who would like to see the online name changed back to Aberdeen can follow these steps on the Google Maps app:

1. Click on the app and search for Aberdeen, Eastern Cape (it will automatically change to Camdeboo, but the Aberdeen page remains there, with the description as "Aberdeen").

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where you can click on "Suggest an edit on Camdeboo".

3. This will take you to the "Suggest an edit" page, where you click on the bottom of the 3 options: "Your opinions about Maps".

4. Click on "Finding my way to a place" and type your message about the "name change" that you consider incorrect/illegal.

5. Say "yes" for feedback from them and click at the bottom to send it. 

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