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News - Date: 13 June 2003
MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The National Chairperson of the South African Geographical Names Council, Adv Tommy Ntsewa, announced this week that the name of the town of Louis Trichardt has officially changed to Makhado.
The announcement, however, looks set to be challenged in court, should the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane, choose not to review his decision.
The announcement regarding the name change was made during a press conference held at the Makhado Municipality on Tuesday.
During question time Adv Ntsewa astounded observers with a one-sided, racially biased and factually flawed version of the history of the town. He indicated that he does not consider it of any consequence that the white residents of the town of Louis Trichardt were consistently and pointedly ignored in the entire consultation process regarding the name change.
Adv Ntsewa further denied that Makhado was the name of a person. He bluntly stated, amongst gasps of disbelief, that Makhado is in fact the name of an institution and that the area on which the present town of Louis Trichardt was built, was in fact traditionally called Makhado. Louis Trichardt changed it in an effort to obliterate the local history, he said.
Adv Ntsewa flaunted this outrageously false and distorted version of the name Makhado and of the town of Louis Trichardt's history, when he was asked to explain the fact that the SAGNC's acceptance of the name Makhado was in direct conflict with various aspects of its own officially declared policy. He stated that he was not aware of anybody who considers the name Makhado as offensive and encouraged the local municipality to ignore the thirty-day period, which the law allows for objections against the change. He concurred with the mayor that they do not expect any objections.
Among the organizations who were quick to react to the Minister's and Adv Ntsewa's announcement, was the local Chairman's Association. Mr André Naudé, chairman of the Chairman's Association, said on Wednesday that, contrary to Adv Ntsewa's and the municipality's belief, they do not regard the name change from Louis Trichardt to Makhado as final. "As the Chairman's Association, we represent some 21 000 people, as well as residents of this area of which some 7 000 signatures were admitted to oppose the name change," Mr Naudé said.
Mr Naudé stated that the Chairman's Association is going to lodge a complaint in terms of Section 10 (3) of the South African Geographical Names Council Act, Act 118 of 1998, to the Minister. In terms of Section 10 (4), the minister has to refer this complaint to the Names Council for advice in terms of Section 10 (5). The Minister also has to inform the complainant of the reason for the approval or the rejection of the complaint.
"If the complaint is refused, then the Chairman's Association will take the Minister's decision on review, depending on the reason furnished," Mr Naudé said. He added that the Chairman's Association regards the advertisement in the Government Gazette as procedurally unfair.
"No administrative justice was done by that as the public have not been informed, in terms of Section 10 (b), that they will be allowed to lodge their complaints in writing within 30 days to the Minister," Mr Naudé concluded. Apart from the above, a grandson of Makhado, Mr Tshaunan Makhado Ramabulana, responded on Wednesday to the outrageous statements made by Adv Ntsewa regarding the name of Makhado.
"No, that is wrong. Makhado is not at all the name of an institution it is the name of a person," Mr Ramabulana said. He said the place on which the present town of Louis Trichardt has been built, was never called Makhado. He added that the man Makhado Ramabulana and his Venda followers were intelligent enough not to live alongside the river and morasses at the foot of the mountain, where the town of Louis Trichardt was built. He said there were in fact no Venda or other settlements where this town was built.
"The nearest village was the settlement of Tshiruruluni, under chief Tshikhudo, which was situated at the foot of the mountain in the area of the present Safcol plantation." .
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