By Thys Khiba
Kroonstad– Free State MEC for Sport, Art, Culture and Recreation Limakatso Mahasa says that the physical restoration of the Museum for the late Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is completed and the national department of Sport, Arts and Culture is about to appoint a service provider for historical research.
This is part of the heritage landscape transformation goal which includes Fezile Dabi and Albertina Sisulu as other struggle icons to be honoured by the Free State government. The department has confirmed that a statue of Dabi will be erected at Fezile Dabi Stadium in Parys-Tumahole, while one of Sisulu will be unveiled in Tweeling.
“Physical restoration of the Museum is completed and currently the National department of Sport Arts and Culture is finalizing the appointment of a service provider who will compile historical research that will inform Museum exhibition,” said the MEC Limakatso Mahasa.
This is part of renaming the historical town of Free State, Brandfort and Hoffmanplein in Bloemfontein. It is reported that Mahasa confirmed that Brandfort will now be renamed after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.Part of the financial year will build the statue for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
“To further preserve our heritage, history and celebrate our struggle heroines, we will rename Hoffman Square in Charlotte Maxeke Street into Charlotte Maxeke Park, subject to proper procedural and consultative processes as required by the relevant legislation. This will be followed by the erection of the statue of Mama Charlotte Maxeke in the same Hoffman Square.”
Meanwhile, the Free State Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Provincial Secretary Bosanku Msimanga says that white men thought less of black people when they named a Free State town, Kroonstad which simply means a horse of Sarel Cillier . Msimanga went to say that there are other towns within the Province still using names of colonial generals whom he says they have removed Makholokwe people from the current qwaqwa and took their live stock and hence their organisation has been in the forefront advocating for renaming the province and township historical names.
Recently, the Arts and Culture minister, Nathi Mthetwa has made a public announcement about a number of name changes for towns, cities and airports in the Eastern Cape province.
On the 23rd of February, the names changes were published in a government gazette and also includes a number of spelling corrections for existing geographical names as well as official registrations of new names.
The most controversial name is for Port Elizabeth, which is now known as Gqeberha. The Port Elizabeth International Airport is now called Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.