South Africa capital Pretoria to change name in 2012

By Bizclik Editor

As part of African Business Review’s look back at the biggest news from 2011, we revisit this story from November.

South Africa’s capital, Pretoria is to be renamed Tshwane by the end of 2012, according to the mayor.

The city’s roads will also be given the names of anti-apartheid leaders, changing from current names which include Afrikaner heroes and apartheid-era dignitaries.

The capital itself is named after white Afrikaner hero Andries Pretorius, who defeated a Zulu army in 1938. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has long called for a name change, already referring to it as Tshwane.

"When we say we want to change the name of the city to Tshwane and replace the street names with names of our struggle heroes, they talk about how much it costs," Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa was quoted as saying in the Pretoria News.

"We are going to be resolute and stubborn in ensuring that our history is recorded correctly, because our brave heroes paid the ultimate price," he said.

Pretoria and its surrounding areas are in a municipality which has already adopted the name Tshwane.

Share

Featured Articles

Abu Dhabi Airports prepares for Terminal A opening

A decade in the making, Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomes 6,000 volunteers to test operational readiness of stunning new Terminal A building

Business Chief expands portfolio with new look and coverage

Business Chief Middle East & Africa launches with fresh new look and extended coverage of the region, with exclusive executive interviews and insights

How Octopus Energy grew to become an industry giant

Octopus Energy continues to grow after a deal was agreed to acquire Shell Energy in the UK and Germany, taking its customer base to almost seven million

Perkbox CEO: How to support employees through tough times

Human Capital

How Middle East is embracing the future of digital finance

Corporate Finance

UAE Lulu Group shifts business for global growth and IPO

Corporate Finance