Some Potchefstroom residents are intent on resorting to legal action if the city’s name changes continue, Action Potchefstroom said on Wednesday.
The civic organisation’s spokesperson Theo Venter said a residents’ meeting approved a decision that the North West minister of developmental, local government and housing, Howard Yawa, be challenged in court.
”It’s to explain his decision to change the name of the municipality to Tlokwe despite hundreds of requests and submissions not to do so,” said Venter.
This follows a mass meeting organised by Action Potchefstroom at the Madiba Banqueting Halls on Tuesday night. Venter said more than 1 000 Potchefstroom residents attended the meeting to show their ”disgust with the decision of the ruling ANC [African National Congress]” to change the names of the city, the municipality and its streets.
”The mass meeting expressed their dismay at the executive mayor for not delivering on his public promise to forward the submissions of Action Potchefstroom in 2006 and his unwillingness to meet with Action Potchefstroom.”
Last week on Tuesday, the North West department of local government and housing said the name change of the Potchefstroom local municipality to Tlokwe local municipality was effective immediately.
”[Provincial minister] Howard Yawa approved the changing of the municipality [name] to Tlokwe last week. The new name, Tlokwe, is effective immediately,” said Yawa’s spokesperson, Lesiba Kgwele. ”Only the municipality has been renamed and not the Potchefstroom town.”
A spokesperson for Potchefstroom mayor Kaizer Mohau said at the time that the city council and residents welcomed the name change.
Venter said residents are disappointed and disgusted about the fact that the council seems to have money for name changes but no money for delivering services. The possibility of a selective tax boycott was discussed at the meeting but it was agreed that research and planning was needed.
Afriforum’s Kallie Kriel informed the meeting about the progress in the Pretoria name-change case and recommitted Afriforum to the campaign in Potchefstroom. Action Potchefstroom was also asked to be more visible during the coming Aardklop arts festival in the city. — Sapa