Mbeki to rethink name changes

[sludge]

http://www.mweb.co.za/news/?p=top_article&i=290895

Very nice!

Hope we see something coming from this, not just empty promises.

 

[supersunbird]

Oh great, some years into his second term he comes up with this...

 

[kingrob]

He realise he needs the white folks now - the black folks are all chanting JZ's name.

 

[supersunbird]

Please, he NEEDS noone, he's not gonna be runner in the next election. And I dont buy this whole MBeki camp thing, sure there a Zuma camp and then there is a rest of SA camp...

 

[JStrike]

I think supersunbird has nailed it

 

[Freshy-ZN]

A win win situation would be to leave things that the Afrikaaners built and named, the british built and named and everyone else built and named as they are. Then things that the ANC build, design, create or otherwise cuase to be....they get to name them. Who decided to build an airport in JHB? Whoever they were they rightfully got to call it Jan Smuts. Later their descendents or heirs agreed that in the spirit of goodwill and reconcilliation they would agree to a name change and thus JHB International came to be.

This goodwill was later abused and now we have a Banana Republicy sounding name like OR Tambo.

Who decided to build the town called Potchefstroom? Was it a group of Afrikaaners? Surely it was. Were they entitled to name it Potchefstroom? Surely they were! Was there some settlement exactly where Potch now stands that was stolen and re-named Potch? Dont think so. So how on Gods green earth do the ANC get to rename it? Hardly an offensive name is it? I could understand a town called Kafffirspruit or something having to be renamed but really. All this renaming has nothing to do with redressing the past and everything to do with trying to stamp their mark on everything as a show of power.

 

[Freshy-ZN]

History of Potch: http://www.potchefstroom.co.za/about_potch/about_potch_history.html

 

[Skeptik]

I don't know about Mbeki "rethinking" things. Perhaps if he used his noodle in the first place he wouldn't have to think again!

 

[jontyB]

Only problem is Pallo Jordan previously stated that once he's decided, it's a done deal...

 

[Syndyre]

While its very tempting to be negative with this government and clearly they should have gotten it right in the first place if they are realising they made a mistake we can only applaud that, belated as it may be.

 

[kingrob]

This quote always stick in my head :

If you don't know where you're coming from, how do you know where you are going?

The ANC is wiping out all the history that this country has accumulated, good or bad, to show who's in power. It is just so sad.

 

[Skeptik]

While its very tempting to be negative with this government and clearly they should have gotten it right in the first place if they are realising they made a mistake we can only applaud that, belated as it may be.

You mean like praising a baby for using the potty?

We don't have to treat people like children just because we are trying to be PC or polite. If they cannot govern, then we need to put people in who can. They are in the highest positions in the land and they should not have to be told how to do things or to "rethink".

 

[bekdik]

he agreed to "engage" on the matter,

Engagement doesn't mean marriage.

 

[rwenzori]

Hope we see something coming from this, not just empty promises.

I am sure it will just be empty promises, like his promises to deal with corruption.

 

[NoRulez]

Articles are very misleading - should have seen him live on TV news!
No chance that it will go any further than "engage with Pallo" on the subject.
Another quote: "I promise to look into the matter" and "Let me discuss the matter with him... to see how we might take it up, perhaps... in the direction you are indicating."
...as if he's not aware what's happening around him, very vague about what will happen and no certain promise of this proposed discussion with PJ - rather a brush off to keep Mulder quiet!
Clearly rattled by this sudden publically posed question.

 

[mancombseepgood]

Hmmm

He also complained about the high cost of broadband.

 

[BTTB]

Articles are very misleading - should have seen him live on TV news!
No chance that it will go any further than "engage with Pallo" on the subject.
Another quote: "I promise to look into the matter" and "Let me discuss the matter with him... to see how we might take it up, perhaps... in the direction you are indicating."
...as if he's not aware what's happening around him, very vague about what will happen and no certain promise of this proposed discussion with PJ - rather a brush off to keep Mulder quiet!
Clearly rattled by this sudden publically posed question.

I think NoRulez has grasped the situation.
President Mbeki knows Mulder has a point. Actually several and caught a tad off guard.

 

[neio]

I dont think El Presiente will do anything, there's no benefit for the ANC in keeping place names that Afrikaners established.
He was just treading water, pay no more attention.

 

[BTTB]

A win win situation would be to leave things that the Afrikaaners built and named, the british built and named and everyone else built and named as they are. Then things that the ANC build, design, create or otherwise cuase to be....they get to name them. Who decided to build an airport in JHB? Whoever they were they rightfully got to call it Jan Smuts. Later their descendents or heirs agreed that in the spirit of goodwill and reconcilliation they would agree to a name change and thus JHB International came to be.

This goodwill was later abused and now we have a Banana Republicy sounding name like OR Tambo.

I cannot comment if the new name sounds like a Banana Republic name, but I go with Freshy on this one.
The whole Jan Smuts, Johannesburg International Airport naming was done in good faith only to be altered by politicians who cannot even remember what was discussed not even 10 years ago. 10 years and they forget. What else have they forgotten that was decided upon during the 1994 era.

Using this Airport Naming Saga as one example, how can we even take President Mbeki seriously on what he says.
If he really meant it he would halt the name change of the Airport immediately to the neutral Johannesburg International and be done with it.

 

[Nod]

Apparently some "people from overseas" talked to Mbeki about the whole name change business, asking if he considered the international impact, e.g. children in Germany learn something about SA history, they look on a new map to see where this place is, and can't find it. Simple example, but it illustrates the cost involved in changing history. It's not just SA paying for it, everybody is.