The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal said that accelerating development and service delivery is a greater priority that changing the name of the province.
”We don’t think the question of the name of the province is a priority for now,” the party’s provincial spokesperson Mtholephi Mthimkhulu told the South African Press Association.
”The priority for now is the acceleration of development and service delivery.”
This was in reaction to King Goodwill Zwelithini’s suggestion that KwaZulu-Natal’s name be changed. This was supported by the Pan Africanist Congress, which feels the current name is associated with suffering and humiliation, and suggested ”KwaZulu”.
”The PWC [provincial working committee] noted the signature campaign launched yesterday by His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini and some experts advocating the name change of the province from KwaZulu-Natal to KwaZulu,” a media statement read.
”The PWC reiterated that as ANC we hold a view that for now it is important to focus on unifying issues that pertain to development and service delivery for the people of this province.”
Pan Africanist Congress president Motsoko Pheko had earlier said: ”Natal is a colonial name. The name was coined by Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese navigator, because he arrived in this part of African on December 25 1497. Natal means Christmas Day in Portuguese.
”But Natal has also caused much suffering, dispossession, humiliation of African people and murder of African leaders there. Much blood was caused to Africans at the Battle of Encome [Blood River], where thousands were killed for protecting their own country against the invading colonialists greedy of African land.
”King Cetshwayo was dethroned and banished for fighting the colonial aggressors who dispossessed his people. King Dinizulu was banished to St Helena for same.
”It is the Natal British colonial administration that sent Langalibalele to Robben Island after dispossessing his people of their land. It is the same Natal that hanged Bambatha for leading the 1906 war of national resistance against British colonialism in Natal.”
He continued: ”Natal, like all other colonial names, is dripping with the blood of the African people. History must be rewritten.”
He said Africans should stop worshipping colonial names, some of which he considered amusing.
”Orange Free State gave the impression that millions of tons of oranges grew here. In fact, no oranges grow there.”
”Names tainted with the genocide and holocaust cannot be kept by any self-respecting nation, except the most docile people on earth,” Pheko said. — Sapa