Mbeki to rethink name changes
Cape Town - The renaming of towns of historical importance to Afrikaners is to be re-examined, said President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday.
Responding to a question in the national assembly from the Freedom Front Plus's Pieter Mulder, he agreed to "engage" on the matter, which he described as important.
Earlier, Mulder said the principle of South Africa belonging to all who lived in it was not being experienced by Afrikaners at local-government level.
"The ANC, without prior consultation, proposes that names of towns, which have huge historical and emotional value for the Afrikaner, such as Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Lydenburg, unilaterally be changed.
"This then sends a strong message to the Afrikaner that their history and their heroes are not important, and are not being accommodated in South Africa," he said.
The renaming of Pretoria, Potchefstroom and Lydenburg to Tshwane, Tlokwe and Mashishing respectively, has been approved by the government, but not yet gazetted.
Will discuss it with Jordan
Mulder called on Mbeki to hold talks with his party "to establish to what degree it is possible to find solutions which are acceptable to all on both sides".
Responding, Mbeki said he would discuss the matter with Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan.
"Let me discuss the matter with him... to see how we might take it up, perhaps... in the direction you are indicating.
"Certainly, we need to engage on this issue and, if we can produce a win-win solution, that would be very good," he said.
News source: www.news24.co.za
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