The Chairperson of the provincial Geographic Names Committee has indicated that he is prepared to consider and even rescind his committee's recommendation to the South African Geographic Names Council if sufficient grounds can be given to stop the change.

The provincial Geographic Names Committee in December last year recommended that the town Louis Trichardt be renamed to Makhado.

Council's actions and the suggested new name are considered by an increasing number of responsible stakeholders as creating a serious and totally unnecessary division and polarisation in the community. Council's high handed and one-sided approach in the matter has already been rejected in the strongest possible terms from various parts of the community across racial and language barriers. It has been condemned as blatantly racist discrimination, tribalistic and a shameless effort at cultural cleansing.

During a report-back meeting of the Soutpansberg Chamber of Commerce this week, an official letter was quoted in which it is categorically stated that the name change is a dividing factor "and very offensive of nature between the Shangaan people and the Venda People and it is also creating a division between the Afrikaans and English people, as well as between the Venda people and the business people on the one side and the Council on the other side."

The letter claims that the residents of the area regard the purported name change as affecting the good relationships in the area in an adverse manner to such an extent that it will be difficult to repair the harm done.

The proposed new name is offending to the Shangaan people and historically has an absolute negative connotation as far as they are concerned.

These objections have been brought to the attention of the Director of the Geographic Names Council of South Africa.

In a letter addressed to the Chamber of Commerce, the Chairperson of the Limpopo Geographic Names Committee, Adv Tommy Ntsewa, states that he was not aware of any prejudice suffered, which must persuade him to ask the SAGNC not to recommend the new name to the Minister. He said he was prepared to reconsider and even rescind the recommendation of his committee if sufficient grounds can be provided.

Adv Ntsewa defended the "fast-tracking" of the name changing process and said this is closely linked to the marketing of the province. "We have in our record from the Municipality of Makhado proof of public meetings which were meant to make inputs on the renaming and we believe the meetings were open to all people (unless the contrary is provided) irrespective of race or creed," Adv. Ntsewa says. He, however, admitted that "it is obvious that not every individual in the Council Jurisdiction could have attended the meetings or have heard of the meeting."