Public gets February and March to shape new geographical names law
Nine provincial hearings will let South Africans have a direct say on the rules governing how places are named.
South Africans have from February to March to comment on the draft law that governs how the country’s towns, cities, rivers and mountains are officially named. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has gazetted provincial consultation dates for the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) Draft Amendment Bill 2023, according to the department.
The sessions run across all nine provinces, starting in Limpopo on 4 February and closing in Gauteng on 25 March. The dates were published in the Government Gazette and in two national newspapers. Written submissions can be emailed to Sagnc@dsac.gov.za, and the draft bill is available through the link published by the department.
What the bill changes
The draft amendment is intended to close gaps in the current SAGNC Act, the law that sets out how geographical names are proposed, approved and changed. The department says the bill has been through six drafts, refined in collaboration with the council, and that the consultations are meant to make sure the final version reflects the country’s diverse heritage and cultural identity.
Geographical names are not a small administrative matter. They appear on maps, road signs, postal addresses, school registers and property deeds. A change to a town’s name can affect everything from business branding to emergency services dispatching. That is why the law governing the process matters well beyond the heritage sector.
The consultation schedule
The provincial sessions are set out as follows:
- Limpopo, 4 February
- Mpumalanga, 10 February
- Northern Cape, 17 February
- KwaZulu-Natal, 28 February
- Western Cape, 4 March
- Eastern Cape, 7 March
- North-West, 11 March
- Free State, 18 March
- Gauteng, 25 March
The first session takes place at the Fusion Boutique Hotel in Polokwane on 4 February at 08h30. The department has invited members of the media to attend.
The department says the consultation process is meant to invite input from national and provincial departments as well as other relevant entities.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture approved the publication of the dates, which the department describes as a step towards inclusive and transparent lawmaking.
Why it matters
Naming decisions often attract strong public feeling, particularly where a name change is seen as correcting a historical injustice or, conversely, as erasing a familiar identity. The rules that decide who proposes a name, who is consulted, how objections are weighed and how long the process takes are what determine whether those disputes are settled fairly or drag on for years.
By holding hearings in every province rather than only in Pretoria, the department is giving residents outside the major centres a direct opportunity to shape those rules. Members of the public, traditional authorities, municipalities, heritage bodies and civic organisations can all make submissions.
What happens next
Consultation runs from February to March 2025. After the provincial sessions close, the department is expected to incorporate the feedback before the bill proceeds through the normal legislative process. South Africans who want a say should either attend a session in their province or send written input to Sagnc@dsac.gov.za before the window closes.
Media enquiries can be directed to Ms Stacey-Lee Khojane, spokesperson in the Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, and to Ms Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing. The full notice is published by the South African Government.
