The trade union Solidarity will meet Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan in Cape Town on Thursday afternoon in a last effort to prevent the change of Pretoria’s name to Tshwane.
Solidarity spokesperson Kallie Kriel said the union requested the meeting after the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) recommended to Jordan that he approve the registration of the name Tshwane in place of Pretoria.
He said the union will be joined by the Pretoria Civil Action (PCA), an organisation that includes the Gauteng North Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations.
”A delegation of Solidarity and the PCA will meet with the Minister, Pallo Jordan, in Cape Town tomorrow [Thursday] afternoon regarding the retention of Pretoria as name of the capital of South Africa,” Kriel said.
Kriel said the union will make a submission to Jordan, arguing that the proposed change of the capital’s name is in direct conflict with the spirit of the South African Constitution.
”The preamble to the Constitution of South Africa clearly states that the country belongs to all who live in it, united in their diversity,” Kriel said.
”This implies that the heritage and dignity of a specific community or citizen will not be regarded as being inferior to that of any other in the country.”
The SAGNC unanimously approved the recommendation to change the city’s name from Pretoria to Tshwane on Thursday last week.
Tommy Ntsewa, chairperson of the council, said despite objections received, the SAGNC could not find anyone who said he or she would materially or adversely be affected by the registration of the ”new geographical feature”.
The council’s ruling immediately sparked criticism from the Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus political parties.
Desiree van der Walt, a DA spokesperson on arts and culture, said the proposal for the name change probably originated from the African National Congress and not the community.
Willie Spies, an FF+ MP, said the party will do everything within its power to ensure that the name of the city of Pretoria is retained.
Two weeks ago, several hundred people marched through the Pretoria city centre to protest the name change. — Sapa