South Africa Cities Renamed to Xhosa Names.

Arts and Culture minister Nathi Mthetwa has announced a number of name changes for towns, cities, and airports in the Eastern Cape.

The changes were published in a government gazette on Tuesday (23 February). The gazette also includes a number of spelling corrections for existing geographical names as well as official registrations of new names.

After Port Elizabeth – and several other towns in the Eastern Cape – were officially renamed on Tuesday, attention has turned to who could be next on the list.

There are several campaigns to get other cities, roads, and universities to follow the lead of Gqeberha, by embracing a new identity. Everywhere from Cape Town to Kruger National Park is in the firing line.

All of the changes are being made in the Eastern Cape province. The most notable change is for Port Elizabeth, which is now known as Gqeberha.

CAPE TOWN

A Khoi San campaign has been active since 2012, bidding to rename the iconic city of Cape Town. And boy, if you thought Gqeberha was hard to pronounce… get a load of “//Hui !Gaeb”.

EAST LONDON

EL avoided the renaming frenzy on Tuesday, but for how long remains anyone’s guess. KuGompo has been suggested as the new name for this Eastern Cape town, and this one could happen ‘sooner rather than later.

BRANDFORT

Last year, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu hinted that the Free State town of Brandfort would be renamed after Winnie Mandela.

Brandfort, situated some 60km north of Bloemfontein, is an iconic landmark in the history of the struggle – and it holds great personal significance for Winnie Mandela herself.

She was sent to live in this part of the Free State when the apartheid regime attempted to exile the liberation stalwart for her continued acts of defiance.

See below proposed Names that cities, roads, universities, and Airports would be changed to.

List By Business Insider