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Kowie name changes process heads to court

Sue Maclennan

The Kowie River, as seen from eSthyothyolweni, Nemato. Changes to the names of the river, and Port Alfred, have been proposed. Picture: SIBULELE MTONGANA

PARRA’s application to interdict the process of changing the names of Port Alfred and the Kowie River is set down for Tuesday February 3 in the Makhanda High Court. Meanwhile arts and culture minister Gayton Mackenzie this week approved the renaming of 21 South African places.
The Port Alfred Ratepayers and Residents Association (PARRA) believes the activities so far undertaken to rename Port Alfred and the Kowie River are unlawful and on December 2 filed court papers seeking to interdict the current process. Through their lawyer Marius Coetzee of De Jager Lordan, PARRA argues that the public participation process so far undertaken by the ECPGNC fails to meet the requirements of the relevant acts.
The Notice of Motion cites as first respondent arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie, with Eastern Cape Department of Sport Arts Recreation and Culture (DSRAC) MEC Sibulele Ngongo, Ndlambe Local Municipality, the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) and the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (ECPGNC) second, third, fourth and fifth respondents.
PARRA has also requested a cost order against the SAGNC and ECPGNC.
In their papers, PARRA said if they didn’t receive notice of intention to oppose within 15 days of the notice of motion being served on them, the matter could be be set down, unopposed, for hearing in the Makhanda High Court at 9.30am on February 3, 2026.
Talk of the Town this week asked McKenzie’s department to confirm whether DSAC/ SAGNC had filed opposing papers or would be taking any other action related to it, considering the stipulated period.
Communications head Zimasa Velaphi said, “The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) acknowledges receipt of the notice of motion regarding the proposed name changes for Port Alfred and the Kowie River. As the matter is currently before the court and sub judice, the Department is unable to provide detailed comments or responses to the specific claims raised in the application at this stage, in order to avoid any potential prejudice to the ongoing legal proceedings.
“The Minister and the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) will address the application through the appropriate legal channels as required. We appreciate your understanding and will provide further information as appropriate once the court process has been concluded.”
Despite repeated attempts, Talk of the Town was unable to reach the province’s spokesperson for sport recreation, arts & culture.
Meanwhile, the Dispatch reported that SA Geographical Names Council chair Johnny Mohlala on Tuesday confirmed the approval of 21 geographical name changes across South Africa. The changes would be gazetted in coming weeks.
“The minister has signed the names, but they still need to be gazetted,” Mohlala said.
“Any objection raised before a name is gazetted is considered premature and the act does not require us to deal with petitions.”
The approved changes in the province include:
SA has officially renamed more than 1,500 geographical features since 1994, including towns, rivers, mountains, roads and airports.
In August, the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee announced proposals to change the name of Port Alfred to eCawa, the Kowie River to iCoyi and Alexandria to Nkosi Chungwa or Emnyameni.
The Dispatch reported Mohlala saying that PARRA’s interdict application was premature.
“Any objection before a name is gazetted is premature,” Mohlala was quoted as saying.
In their papers, PARRA says the public participation process didn’t comply with the requirements of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act {PAJA). PARRA says the way the ECPGNC has acted so far goes against the policies published in the South African Geographical Names Council’s handbook and the ECPGNC’s own published policy: PARRA argues that notice of the public participation process wasn’t published within the prescribed timeframes and that the ECPGNC failed to provide the information that stakeholders needed in order to engage with the process meaningfully.
Asked to comment on this week’s announcement of 21 new South African names, PARRA declined, citing their imminent court hearing.
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