Goodbye Graaff-Reinet: South African town’s name change stirs racial tensions | South Africa
A town in South Africa is divided over changing its name from colonial-era Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe, in memory of the anti-apartheid activist, in a debate that has inflamed racial tensions.
Petitions were signed, rival marches were held and a formal letter of complaint was sent to Gayton McKenzie, the minister for sport, arts and culture. approved Name change on February 6.
On the one hand, there are people who feel a deep attachment to Graaff-Reinet; although most are also affiliated with Graaff-Reinet his name Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, the Dutch governor of the Cape Colony when the town was founded in 1786, and his wife Hester Cornelia Reynet.
On the other hand, there are those who insist that naming the town after Sobukwe, who was born and buried there, is a necessary part of South Africa’s “transformation” away from colonialism and apartheid rule of white minorities.
Sobukwe left the African National Congress (ANC) liberation movement to form the Pan Africanist Congress in 1959, amid disagreements over the ANC allowing white members. On March 21, 1960, Sobukwe led protests against laws requiring Black people to carry pass passes. Police opened fire during the march, killing 69 people in what became known as the Sharpeville massacre.
According to a study, more than 1,500 place names were changed in South Africa between 2000 and 2024. official database. These include more than 400 post offices, 144 rivers and seven airports, while the city of Port Elizabeth became Gqeberha in 2021.
The Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture said in a statement: expression Announces 21 name changes, including Graaff-Reinet: “Mission… [is] to rectify, correct and transform the geographical naming system to advance restorative justice, including addressing colonial and apartheid-era naming legacies.”
A. questionnaire The survey, conducted in December 2023, found that 83.6% of the town’s residents opposed the name change; this includes 92.9% people of Color and 98.5% white people. One-third of black residents supported the name change. Of 367 randomly selected representative participants, 54% were Colored, 27.2% were Black, and 18.8% were white.
“Many residents felt that changing the name would erase part of their identity as ‘Graaff-Reinetters’,” said Stellenbosch University geography professor Ronnie Donaldson. wrote from their findings.
Laughton Hoffman, who runs a youth-supporting nonprofit, expressed concern that the name change would hurt tourism in the town of about 51,000 whose center is dotted with elegant, whitewashed Cape Dutch buildings.
“We are not sentimental about the Dutch… We are afraid of the pain of the past. [the name Graaff-Reinet] “It’s become a benefit to the people and the town’s economy,” said Hoffman, wearing a bright pink “Hands Off Graaff-Reinet” T-shirt.
Hoffman is Colored and Khoi-San—indigenous South Africans, mixed-race people, and descendants of enslaved people from other parts of Africa, Indonesia, and Malaysia who the apartheid government lumped together as Colored.
Hoffman said his community had been “oppressed” by black-dominated ANC-led governments since the end of apartheid. “As a cultural group, we have been marginalized for 32 years,” he said.
Black researchers attribute much of this resentment felt by some segments of their community to hostility between Colored and Black communities fueled by racial segregation. Black people were allowed slightly better housing and jobs, which forced them to move away from Black people in order to access these benefits.
Meanwhile, lawyer Derek Light, who wrote the letter of complaint demanding that culture minister McKenzie reverse his decision, argued that public consultation on the name change was not in accordance with legal procedure. “This was a sham process,” he said.
Light, who is white, lamented the tension the name change created in the town. “We were living in peace and harmony,” he said. “It’s not perfect; we have poverty and unemployment and things like that. But we don’t have racial problems among our people.”
Black members of the Robert Sobukwe Steering Committee, who supported the name change, rejected it. “We’ve always had racial problems,” Athe Singeni said. “It was very thoughtful.”
His mother, Nomandla, said they would not be deterred even after this. Sobukwe’s tomb was vandalized by unknown persons earlier this month. “We as Black people have a history that has been erased,” she said. “We have leaders who contributed and sacrificed their lives for the freedom we have today. It is time to honor them.”
Further up the hill, in uMasizakhe, a formerly Black town, a group of home-brewed alcohol users expressed support for the name change. “I am happy to change the name to Graaff-Reinet,” said 59-year-old job seeker Mzoxolo Nkhomo. “Because Sobukwe is our warrior. Sobukwe set us free.”
The Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Museum and Learning Center across the road was closed and the politician’s statue was covered up. His grandson, Mangaliso Tsepo Sobukwe, said it was never officially opened due to family disputes.
Sobukwe said place name changes were instrumentalized by politicians. “It is interesting that the ANC is seen advocating for Sobukwe to be honoured because they… [have been] suppressing his legacy.”
Sobukwe expected backlash over the name change, but added: “More than anything, going forward, I’m happy that my grandfather is being honored.”
