Another name change proposed for old SA town
Calls for a name change for one of South Africa’s oldest towns have once again been raised.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has reignited calls to rename towns such as Harrismith and Smithfield.
During a recent parliamentary Q&A, ATM MP Vuyolwethu Zungula urged Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to initiate the process of changing these town names.
He argued that these names honour figures linked to the oppression of indigenous communities.
Zungula specifically highlighted the pain felt by the AmaXhosa Kingdom, noting that towns named after British Governor Harry Smith, including Harrismith, serve as painful reminders of the killing of their king, Hintsa kaKhawuta, in 1835.
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However, Minister McKenzie pushed back, stating that it is not the department's role to initiate the renaming process.
"Communities must follow proper procedures if they want change," McKenzie responded.
According to BusinessTech, Harrismith, one of South Africa's oldest towns, was named after Smith in 1849.
Today, it is known as a popular stopover along the busy N3 route, especially for truckers and holidaymakers en route to the Drakensberg.
This is not the first time calls for a name change have been made.
Previous efforts in 2005 and again around 2014/15, including suggestions to rename the town to Intabazwe, failed to gain local support.
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Zungula reportedly also mentioned Aliwal North in his submission, another town linked to Harry Smith.
However, that town’s name was officially changed to Maletswai in 2015.
For now, McKenzie has made it clear that the department will not be taking the lead, and any changes need to come from the communities themselves.
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