South African Town in Uproar over Renaming After Anti-Apartheid Icon

South African town in uproar over renaming after anti-apartheid icon

A rebellion over the renaming of the historic country town of Graaff-Reinet has exposed deep-rooted fractures in South Africa as it grapples with its tormented history. In a government decree published last month, the nearly 250-year-old town of whitewashed Cape Dutch houses and red flamboyant trees was renamed after anti-apartheid icon Robert Sobukwe, born here around a century ago. It is one of around 1 500 geographical name-changes since the …

Reclaiming History: Why Graaff-Reinet Was Renamed Robert Sobukwe Town

Graaff-Reinet, a town steeped in South African history, is poised to take a significant step towards reclaiming its narrative. The Eastern Cape town, established in 1786 by the Dutch East India Company as a trading post, was named after the then-governor of the Cape Colony, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, and his wife. The renaming of Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town, recently Gazetted, was a long-overdue acknowledgment of the pivotal role one…