Political parties and traditional leadership have mixed feelings over five proposals to change the province’s name.
Premier Makhenkesi Stofile this week announced to the media the names in order of preference as KwaXhosa (Xhosa land), KwaNtu (province of the people), Eastern Cape (untranslated to isiXhosa), Ekhaleni (aloe) and eNciba (Kei River).
The African National Congress said the name change task team spearheaded by Jongela Nojozi did not get to the bottom of the process to find out what would be a unifying name for the province — something that encompassed all its people and areas.
ANC provincial representative Phaki Hobongwana raised concerns about the names KwaXhosa and KwaNtu saying they were promoting tribalism and were irrelevant.
”We cannot appear to be imposing one tribal group over another and suppress minorities. We need an all-encompassing name,” Hobongwana said.
On the Ekhaleni name the ANC and the Democratic Alliance said aloes did not occur everywhere in the province.
”If the task team does not go beyond these proposed names, Eastern Cape (untranslated to isiXhosa) should be the name of the province,” Hobongwana said.
He added: ”If the team cannot go beyond the suggested names to ensure that the name embraces every grouping in the province we should rather save our money and drop the process.”
DA leader Athol Trollip said KwaXhosa would be his preferred name although he would be delighted to have the name Eastern Cape as this was a wonderful name.
Stofile, said that although it was not for him to dictate the name, only Eastern Cape (untranslated to isiXhosa) and Ekhaleni were without ”problematic connotations”.
He said KwaXhosa was ethnically narrow. KwaNtu was too general and did not uniquely identify the province. He also raised concerns about eNciba which he said was not even the biggest river in the Eastern Cape.
The United Democratic Movement said Stofile’s concerns ”are genuine”.
UDM provincial representative Mabandla Gogo said: ”We must have a unifying name and not marginalise other groups while promoting others. Eastern Cape has many tribes and nations, some very small and others big, but all should be treated equally.
”We need a name that will unite all the people of the province,” said Gogo.
eNciba (Kei River) was not liked by all parties and traditional leaders in the province as they said it was divisive and had a negative stigma.
Xhosa Royal Council CEO Chief Xhanti Sigcawu said KwaXhosa was most suitable name for the province with accordance to the history and language spoken by the people in the region.
”KwaXhosa is most fitting and should not look as if promoting tribalism or undermining other small groupings and tribes within the province,” Sigcawu said.
Congress of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa) provincial chairman Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana said each person irrespective of colour or tribe is referred to as umntu (a person).
Stofile said the short-listed names are expected to be tabled in the provincial legislature soon and he would announce the new name before the end of the year. – Sapa