A reconsideration of name changes may be on the cards after a court reversed the renaming of Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, the Freedom Front Plus said on Thursday.
”The decision means the proposed name changing of Pretoria to Tshwane and Potchefstroom to Tlokwe will in all likelihood be placed on ice,” said party leader Pieter Mulder.
The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled earlier in the day in favour of a group of Louis Trichardt businessman, setting aside a decision by Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan to rename the town Makhado.
Mulder said the ruling left name changes once again open for debate after being ”forced through” by the government since 2003.
AfriForum head Kallie Kriel also welcoming the ruling, saying it encouraged AfriForum to fight the Pretoria and Potchefstroom name changes in court.
Kriel said he hoped that Jordan had ”learned a lesson … namely that he cannot approve procedurally deficient and ill-considered name changes at random.”
”If Minister Jordan, in spite of the Louis Trichardt ruling, were to forge ahead with the changing of the names of Pretoria and Potchefstroom, he can definitely expect to find himself in hot water in court again,” said.
The minister’s spokesperson, Sandile Memela, on Thursday said the decision was welcomed by the government as ”we are a department that upholds the rule of the law”.
”We unconditionally accept the appeal-court ruling that there was not enough consultation … the ruling is not saying that name changes itself are not right, it is pointing out that the process was flawed,” he said.
Memela said his department would meet the local municipalities to discuss the issue further and possibly initiate the consultation processes anew.
Memela said name changes were never ”whimsical” decisions or a ”personal choice” by the minister.
”Rather they must reflect the needs of the people,” he said.
The ruling should remind people that it was their responsibility to participate when called upon to do so, Memela urged.
”It is a reminder to people not to take the gains of democracy for granted and come and participate if called upon to do so.”
The ultra-right-wing Herstigte Nasionale Party described the ruling as ”a significant victory against the African National Congress Minister of Name Changes Pallo Jordan”.
”Other people should learn from the businessmen in Louis Trichardt and not give up,” said general secretary Louis van der Schyff.
Van der Schyff said the ruling had positive implications for those fighting for the names of Pretoria and Potchefstroom to be retained.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) also welcomed the ruling.
”Government must now ensure that it avoids any further name change disputes by properly involving and consulting all stakeholders,” said DA MP Desiree van der Walt.
The appeal court ordered that respondents Jordan and the South African Geographical Names Council pay costs. — Sapa