(5 minutes read)
· South African Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said that the country’s airports may be renamed and the decision to do is being seriously being discussed in the government circles
· The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has also embarked on a project to rename East London Airport, Port Elizabeth International Airport and Kimberley Airport
· The present exercise is in line with the South African Geographical Names Council Act, which is a part of the Transformation of Heritage Landscape Government Programme
South African Transport minister Fikile Mbalula said that the country’s airports may be renamed and the decision to do so is being seriously being discussed in government circles.
The minister was responding to some questions raised by members in parliament. A few suggestions have been received by the government regarding the new names of airports.
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has also embarked on a project to rename East London Airport, Port Elizabeth International Airport and Kimberley Airport. The present exercise is in line with the South African Geographical Names Council Act, which is a part of the Transformation of Heritage Landscape Government Programme.
The South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) is responsible for geographical features of national concern including, but not limited to, towns/cities, suburbs and any form of human settlement, post offices, stations, highways, airports and government dams. The council is also responsible for natural landforms like mountains, hills, rivers, streams, bays, headlands and islands.
Mbalula said that ACSA appointed an independent public participation consultant to facilitate a transparent public participation process. The Eastern Cape government is deliberating an official name change for several towns in the province as part of a programme aimed at transforming the country’s geographic landscape to be more representative of its people. The major metropolitan of East London may be renamed as KuGompo. King William’s Town may be renamed to
Qonce, Berlin may get the name Ntabozuko and East London Airport renamed to King Phalo Airport. However, the opposition Democratic Alliance said that it would oppose the ‘frivolous’ name changes in the Buffalo City Metropolitan.
