The ANC Cacadu district deputy chairperson Lungile Mxube says the changing the district municipality's name to Sarah Baartman is a decision that was taken by the ruling party and its alliance partners a long time ago.
The ANC Cacadu district deputy chairperson Lungile Mxube says the changing the district municipality's name to Sarah Baartman is a decision that was taken by the ruling party and its alliance partners a long time ago.
He said this is part of recognising Baartman and the role that was played by coloured people during the fight against Apartheid. Mxube said the ANC resolved that the Cacadu region must be re-branded. He said Baartman has not been recognised well in the past despite the brutal victimisation she went through at the hands of the British.
The way she was brutalised by the British is extremely bad and her name is significant; at the same time [it]needs recognition, Mxube said. After this name changing you will see if you go to the United Kingdom surely tourists will be very interested. This name of Cacadu has not helped us in terms of economy and development, we need a name that will inspire our people.
He added that it was difficult to determine how much this process will cost at this stage but the money will come from both government and the ANC. Asked why not tackle critical issues like education instead, Mxube said every time government does a developmental thing people complain. When the former government built statues of Verwoed and Malan and named streets after them people were quiet. But today when this very democratic government which is transparent is doing something developmental people complain, Mxube said.
People are trying to portray the ANC as individuals with thoughtless ideas, we need people with ideas that are going to develop our region. We welcome criticisms but they must be constructive. Criticism without meaningful proposal is useless.
The official launch of the re-branding of Cacadu district municipality in Jeffrey Bay will take place on 3 May, will be a purely an ANC function, Mxube said.
He added that by the end of May, the mayor of Cacadu, the municipal manager and the mayoral committee will have moved to Kirkwood from Nelson Mandela metro municipality.
