This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (March 2022) |
Since 1994, numerous locations in South Africa have been renamed. The following article covers the name changes in South Africa by province since the 1994 South African general election. National place names, such as towns, suburbs, and natural landforms, are decided by the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC), and provinces have their own geographical names committees.[1] Among the South African public, there is broad agreement that locations which are named after British or Afrikaner military personnel who fought against Black South Africans or contain racial slurs should be renamed, but efforts since 2005 to replace inoffensive names, such as Lydenburg (which African National Congress politicians claimed are necessary to "address the legacy of colonialism and apartheid") have faced opposition on the grounds of excessive costs and perceived bias in favour of honouring ANC members.[2][3][4] Although many name changes have taken place officially since the end of apartheid in 1994, many of the previous names are still common in use, and some name changes have been officially reverted.