MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – Shock and disbelief followed the announcement by the Minister this week that he rejected the objections against the controversial renaming of Louis Trichardt to Makhado.

The Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane, in reply to widespread objections from across cultural and racial divisions, said that after careful consideration of the objections and all other information brought to his attention on the matter, the objection to the name change was rejected.

He said a process of sufficient consultation had been followed before this matter was finalized, and the approved name was not in conflict with the principles and policies of the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC).

Observers were astounded by the Minister's statement. It is almost certain that his decision will soon be challenged in court.

The local Chairpersons Association, representing 26 000 people, received the Minister's decision "with deep regret and disappointment" and said the exact legal process that is soon to be followed will be announced after its member base has been informed and consulted.

Chairperson André Naudé expressed profound disappointment and utter surprise in a media statement.

"Twenty-six thousand people, all members of our organisation, were not consulted and are marginalized by this decision.

"Sufficient consultation on this matter was not effected. No need was established to change any names and only 1 169 people were consulted, of whom only 393 voted for the name Makhado. We therefore clearly felt that the Minister would wisely refer the matter back to the Municipality to start the consultation process afresh.

"The rejection of the objection was met with shock and disbelief, as democracy and consultation now seem to exist in the words of the Constitution only," Mr Naudé said.

Apart from the highly controversial consultation process, in which whites residents were pointedly ignored and deliberately misled by the previous mayor, the Minister's statements and decision are all the more surprising in the light of evidence, prominently published in newspaper reports, which clearly demonstrated that the Louis Trichardt name change issue was in flagrant contravention of several of the principles and guidelines contained in the official policy statement of the SAGNC. It was also pointed out that the motivation which adv. Tommy Ntsewa of the SAGNC forwarded for the name change was severely flawed and grossly misleading, as a result of a blatantly biased and fault-riddled presentation of the known and documented history of the town and of the suggested, highly controversial, new name.

The SAGNC is a statutory body, which is supposed to serve the Minister with well-researched factual information about all matters pertaining geographical names in the country. In its policy statement, it recommends that names with a particular historical significance should preferably not be changed. Historians pointed out that the historic meeting and resulting warm friendship between Louis Trichardt and Ravele Ramabulana beneath the Soutpansberg in fact signalled the inception of that mutual respect and peaceful co-operation which is the cornerstone of the New South Africa and a potentially proud new Africa.

The SAGNC lists a return to or restoration of the original name of a particular settlement as a valid reason to request a name change. The town of Louis Trichardt was planned and erected on an open, uninhabited piece of land, nowhere near a then existing traditional settlement. The town was planned and erected as a totally new creation in honour of French Huguenot descendant Louis Trichardt, who distinguished himself as a benevolent and far-sighted Christian leader who assisted the Venda tribe to restore peace in their midst. The name Louis Trichardt therefore was the original name of the newly created town. Even a member of the Ramabulana family rejected as "ridiculous and false" adv. Ntsewa's assertion that the area on which the town was erected, was historically known as "Makhado".

When adv. Ntsewa's attention was drawn to the fact that the SAGNC in its official policy statement discouraged naming a town after a person, he denied that "Makhado" was the name of a person. He said it was the name of a movement.

This statement of adv. Ntsewa of the SAGNC was also described by a member of the Ramabulana family as "totally ridiculous".

From adv. Ntsewa's remarks during his official presentation of the name change in Louis Trichardt, it appeared that he had ignored the objections of the Hlanganani Concerned Group, who objected to the name of Makhado. They took their protest to the streets of Louis Trichardt in an organised, legitimate protest march to demonstrate their rejection of a name which they described as that of "a warlord who perpetrated despicable nocturnal atrocities against defenceless women and children in an undeclared war." The SAGNC policy emphatically states that names which are offensive should be avoided. Adv. Ntsewa said he was not aware that the name was offensive to anybody.

The way in which both the provincial and local authorities more than a year ago already pre-empted the name change, and dealt with objects of cultural significance to the marginalized white minority, is considered by observers as not only blatantly unlawful, but also an open insult to and a negation of their basic human rights. In the pre-amble to the South African Constitution, the right of all citizens to enjoy their cultural heritage is emphatically enshrined.

Against this backdrop, many regard Minister Ngubane's decision on the name of Louis Trichardt as surprisingly short-sighted, ill-informed and clumsy, with long term negative consequences for the credibility of a government with an officially declared policy of national reconciliation, fairness and transparency.

Meanwhile, in Gauteng, where emotions are running high about the proposed name change of Pretoria, Dr Dan Roodt of the Pro-Afrikaanse Aksiegroep (Praag) is reported to have said a dangerous dimension of the controversy is the fact that Afrikaans-speaking people are being challenged to prove that they are determined to protect their identity and cultural heritage.