According to the Keep Grahamstown Grahamstown campaign, the renaming was also based on incorrect historical information.
The renaming of Grahamstown to Makhanda was headed to the High Court after local organisations complained that the process followed was invalid.
According to the Keep Grahamstown Grahamstown (KGG) campaign, the renaming was also based on incorrect historical information.
The campaign’s Sigidla Ndumo was confident the name change would be overturned.
“The KGG is confident that the name change will be overturned. Our lawyers recently received a recording of the handling of the matter by the Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa to confirm that. We already knew that the minister only considered a small number of the name objections that were submitted.”
Ndumo said their lawyers recently received records from Mthethwathat confirmed he only considered a small number of the many objections submitted.
“It is also clear that his decision was based on incorrect historical information about [Grahamstown founder] Colonel [John] Graham. The minister claims that Graham exterminated all the inhabitants of the area.”
The campaign also claimed Mthethwa’s notice of the name change was defective.
