Only names that "make us have nightmares" will be changed

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BobbyMac

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20071004175652896C742328

"Grahamstown must go. It's a name we can't be proud of, considering history and given the baggage that it carries," said Kate.

He said a process to eliminate the name from the books of this country was unfolding.

Meanwhile, a mayoral committee has been set up to take up public participation.

The mayor stressed that only names that "make us have nightmares" will be changed.

"The intention is not to get rid or kill the history and heritage of the Settlers." However, he said, a balance was needed.
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As well as those we changed, and then decided to rechange.
And maybe those that refer to animal genitalia.
And then, perhaps, those that we changed, changed, changed, and then changed again.
 
hmm, the 'iRhini National Arts Festival' - sounds kind of tacky.

Only the morons in SA power structures, fail to see that the names of places, are like a 'brand' of a product - if you change the product name, you lose ALL the advertising and market awareness that's been built up on that name. The Grahamstown Arts Festival is pretty well known in theatre and art circles around the world.

Changing 'Grahamstown' to iRhini - is like deciding to change 'Nando's' to 'Some Chicken Place'.

Wah wah wah, the big babies get nightmares over town names... Wait til they discover no one's particularly interested in this unknown 'iRhini Arts Festival' - and crash goes the local economy, which depends on it.
 
Grahamstown is almost 200 years old! :eek:

Founded in 1812 as a military outpost, it began to grow and thrive in the 1820's as struggling Settler families left their farms to establish themselves in more secure trades. Its position at the nexus of the coast and the hinterland, and between the Cape Colony and the north meant that Grahamstown was ideally situated as a focus for communications and agriculture. The city's broad tree-lined streets and imposing public buildings are the legacy of a time when Grahamstown was the Cape's second city : it became the seat of bishopric in 1852 and in 1864 the site of the only session of the Cape Parliament to held outside Cape Town. Grahamstonians are characteristically proud of their city's historical heritage, a pride which is evident in the care taken to preserve and enhance the many historic buildings which endure to this day. Prominent among these are the city's many places of worship, numbering over forty, which testify to the variety of cultures which coexist in the city, and the premises of Rhodes University and the several excellent schools, all of which combine to lend the city its air of cultural diversity. Grahamstown was founded by Lt. Colonel John Graham in 1812 as the military headquarters for a system of forts along the Fish River, which had been established as the boundary of the Cape Colony. Lord Charles Somerset became governor of the Colony in 1814 and he saw that a concentration of European settlers along the border would do away with the need for more soldiers to maintain the frontier. At this time, there was much unemployment in Britain. Soldiers had been demobilised after the Napoleonic Wars and the industrial revolution was at its height. So Somerset's frontier scheme seemed an ideal solution to both the problems existing in Britain and the Cape Colony. The Settlers were given a very unrealistic description of the life they would have on the Frontier. The 100 acre land allotments for each family was totally inadequate for successful farming, particularly so, as the Settlers were not of farming stock. Most had earned their living as artisans and craftsmen. As crops failed successively, they began drifting into towns, where they reverted to their former trades. The authorities at first opposed this exodus from the land, but eventually granted the Settlers building plots in Grahamstown. Beautifully restored groups of these cottages can still be seen around Artificer's Square in New and MacDonald Streets, and many of the shops remain a reminder of those early days of trading. Thus Grahamstown changed from a military settlement into a thriving market town. With this came the establishment of Grahamstown's renowned schools and churches.
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What is wrong with these people? I thought they wanted to expunge the devil of Apartheid, not rid names that are more than 6 or 7 Generations old.

'2c or R100m - I don't care'
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Ok, so you don't care. Public Money nor The Struggling Settlers who almost 200 years ago transformed what for all intents and purposes was just bush and wild animals with their bare hands, into a thriving town that we can see and use today. Thanks to them and them alone that Grahamstown exists today.

The thinking of these people in Government today is so short sighted, lacking of the actual facts of our rich and diverse history and darn right stupid.

I give up.
Do as you wish, but I fail to see how all these preserved buildings would mean anything being called anything else, but it's original name.:confused:
 
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Grahamstown was one of the original 'settler' towns. My ancestors are from there. They founded the place and made it a successful city.

This change is nothing but a form of scent-marking by the current council who haven't the brains or the b*lls to accept the white man's culture or presence in Madela's "rainbow nation".
 
What's going to happen after these goons die? Will their kids and grandkids also be suffering from these nightmares?
 
Skeptik said:
Grahamstown was one of the original 'settler' towns. My ancestors are from there. They founded the place and made it a successful city.

This change is nothing but a form of scent-marking by the current council who haven't the brains or the b*lls to accept the white man's culture or presence in Madela's "rainbow nation".
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I think the Town Council should be voted out of office. This situation is ridiculous and/or popularist tactics to attract votes Mugabe Style. :mad:

My own namesake is known today as The Father of the 1820 Settlers who came to that area as early as 1799, managed the Government Farms which are now known as Somerset East, settled later on his own 500 Acre Land Grant which is still in the family to this day. He lived to the ripe old age of 91 and is buried within the family crypt on the farm with is wife. One can only admire a man like that who saw South Africa in it's raw form and loved it so much that he gave his entire adult life to it's future which can be enjoyed by all his many descendants.

Read the book called, "They were South Africans" by John Bond.
The Chapter called "The First of Them All" and several others are dedicated to his life and our rich history that we all should be proud of, accept and not destroy.

Soldiers founded Grahamstown. One cannot alter or deny history, nor should we.
 
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BTTB said:
What is wrong with these people? I thought they wanted to expunge the devil of Apartheid, not rid names that are more than 6 or 7 Generations old.
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It's a black country remember. Anything white must go.
 
even ice cream and white chocolate ?
 
Necuno said:
even ice cream and white chocolate ?
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Especially white chocolate! It's a abomination to convert brown cocoa into white. White chocolate must be wiped from this earth.

I would like to know who had a nightmare recently about Grahamstown. The whole process lacks a certain logic. I expect that not even debating the subject with these dumbasses would help.
 
You knew these sort of things would happen eventually, when you voted "yes" in 1992. Why complain now?
 
What we have here is a couple of nobody politicians in (apart from a couple weeks a year ) a sleepy, little university town trying to get noticed.

Stir up emotions, disregard any opposition, force your agenda through, get your name in the national media and hopefully get a promotion. How are you going to do that building house and providing basic services? Its the new ANC way of getting ahead. Just ask president Zuma...sorry ex-deputy president Zuma.
 
Internet Junkie said:
It's a black country remember. Anything white must go.
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sad but true.... I see in the local papers they want to change the name of Zambesi drive in Pretoria too.... As far as I know Zambesi IS an african name, from Africa.... zero connotation to apartheid... suppose it has to go coz the white dude thought of using it as a road name.
Same old story, houses & basic services can wait, street & place name changes, that is what the sheep want! oi! when are the citizens gonna start saying enuff is enuff, the council should stop wasting munny on less important ****, and get their priorities in order. Of course it doesn't help that white folks complain about gov wasting munny, or wanting improvements in services for all first, white logic doesn't count.
But u're right, this is just some sh1thead in local gov, who wants to get noticed, otherwise it might just looks like they are not working in their BEE handed over job, can't have folks thinking that they'r just useless baggage! :rolleyes:

Besides... in my opinion, if street and place names give u nightmares, I don't think a gov position of power is right for u, may i suggest a residence at Groendakkies?
 
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so much money to throw around, pitty its not being used for low cost housing, or providing water to communities that dont have.. but i guess renaming places of nightmare like the 'joburg general hospital' takes priority

how many houses can be built with the money spent on 1 name change?

and there are people that are proud members of the anc?
 
yes, <sigh> I just don't get the logic! If the idiot in gov WANTs to get noticed, and his name immortalised :p, why not go do somethin useful, like getting the basic services & housing into action? ... councilor Sipho having a daydream... "Here we have councilor Sipho, for people's choice awards, against all the odds, he brought electricity, and running water to the comunity"... naa, scratch that thought, sounds like too much work, let's rather change the names :sick:
 
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