Following the recent geographical name changes approved by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture on Monday, 26 January in the Eastern Cape, Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee chair Christian Martin reiterated that the South African Geographical Names Council’s (SAGNC) mandate is the transformation agenda.
In a recent interview with The Express, Martin noted that people often confuse the mandate of the council, with citizens frequently conflating geographical naming with issues like water supply and infrastructure.
“Our mandate is not to build houses. Our mandate is the transformation agenda. There is a budget,” he noted while emphasising the distinction between geographical naming and service delivery.
He stressed that the council’s main goal is to ensure South Africans feel a sense of belonging in their country.
Martin further expressed the necessity of the name changes by referring to the Eastern Cape’s history, particularly the 100-year war from 1779 to 1879.
He explained that indigenous people of the areas named places based on their natural features rather than colonial references.
New names for various areas in the Eastern Cape:
East London – KuGompo City
Graaff-Reinet – Robert Sobukwe Town
Barkly East – Ekephini
Meanwhile, there are mixed reviews from people on social media about the various name changes.
A popular Eastern Cape content creator named Mswenklondon, based in KuGompo City (formerly East London), shared his negative thoughts about the name change.
There were also mixed reactions about the name changes on X, formerly known as Twitter, where some users such as Eastern Cape born author Khaya Dlanga also expressed their frustrations.
Do these people think? Changing East London to KuGompo makes zero sense. We already have a Gompo here. Adding 'City' just creates confusion. Down with this name.
— Khaya Dlanga (@khayadlanga) January 28, 2026
In a statement released by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the statement further explained the need to change the names of geographical areas, stating that the process is to fully honour the commitments during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC).
“In our efforts to build a socially cohesive society grounded in the values of human dignity, the standardisation and renaming of towns, cities and geographical features also contribute to symbolic reparations. This aligns with government’s commitment to implementing the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) recommendations by restoring dignity and correcting historical imbalances,” the statement noted.
