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The Democratic Alliance together with the Cradock Business Forum and other stakeholders will have a peaceful march on Saturday, September 24, on Heritage Day in Cradock where they will hand over petitions from local residents who are not in favour of the proposed new name change for the town.
According to Monde Desha, who is the DA Constituency Chairperson of EC Midlands and IYM DA Caucus Leader, participants will hand over petitions of more than 3 000 signatures of residents that are unhappy with the new proposed name Nxuba.
The planned peaceful protest comes after the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa gazetted the new names for the Eastern Cape on August 26, which will mainly affect towns and villages in the Amathole District Municipality while Cradock, which will be renamed Nxuba, is in the Chris Hani District Municipality.
The petition lists will be handed over to Nomvano Zibonda that will hand it in at the Ministers office.
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The other name that was proposed for Cradock was Kaladokhwe.
“It is clear that the majority of the residents in Cradock and Middelburg are against this name change from Cradock to Nxuba,” said Desha.
He said the name change won't provide any economic benefits.
“A name change will not fix our broken roads, raw sewage spills, water outages, crime, and corruption,” said Desha.
He said unemployment in the Inxuba Yethemba Local Municipality is currently 41% and a new name would not change many of the unemployed people’s status to employed.
Desha further said the Provincial Name Change Committee must build on the heritage of the internationally renowned Cradock Four anti-apartheid activists, Fort Calata; Matthew Goniwe; Sicelo Mhlauli; and Sparrow Mkhonto.
“The Cradock Four and the name Cradock reminds us to fight for what we believe in. Cradock is synonymous with the Cradock Four,” said Desha.
The march will commence from the bottom of the entrance of the Cradock Four road up to the Cradock Four statute of remembrance and will begin at 10:00 on September 24.
The Cradock Business Forum created an online petition in the hopes of preventing the town's name change.
"The proposal to change the name of Cradock in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipalty to Kaladokwe, Nxuba or any other name will not fix our broken municipality. This name change will have unnecessary financial implications on already established businesses where the name 'Cradock' forms part of. Cradock is a world-renowned town with its own rich heritage, being one of the oldest towns in South Africa.
"A change to the name will dishonour the memory of the struggle heroes - Cradock Four. We, (people who sign the petition) are concerned business owners and residents of Cradock and we are against the name change and with this petition we want our voices to be heard. This petition will be delivered to the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and the Eastern Cape Name Change Council," the Cradock Business Forum wrote.
