The Chairperson’s Association put their foot down on the issue of road signage displaying the name Makhado for the town of Louis Tirchardt.

The CA threatened the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) concerning the Makhado name boards and gave them eight weeks to correct them. Non-compliance will result in court procedures and officials could end up paying out of their own pockets.

“If these signboards, where Makhado is shown rather than Louis Trichardt, are not changed within eight weeks from date hereof, we will proceed to bring an application to court to have you, as well as your officials, jointly and severally compelled to adhere to the court order and the laws of this country and a special punitive cost order will be requested …” reads the CA’s letter, dated July 13.

Photographs of more than 36 nameboards that have not been corrected to display the name Louis Trichardt were sent to SANRAL. Most of the photographs had been repeated after a period of a year to establish whether any correction to the name had occurred.

The roads included numerous sign boards on the N1 and directing towards the N1, R36, R522, R523 and R524.

Not only had existing nameboards not been corrected, but since the decision of the Appellate Division in March 2007 that the town’s name is not Makhado, new sign boards had allegedly been erected displaying the incorrect name. “… new signboards have been erected between Polokwane and Louis Trichardt, as well as between Thohoyandou and Louis Trichardt, in terms of which it has been indicated that the town Louis Trichardt is called Makhado. Your attitude is clearly in contempt of court…” the CA states.

It is not the first time that the CA has engaged SANRAL about the sign boards. Two years after the decision of the appeal court, the CA wrote to Mr Nazir Alli, CEO of SANRAL.

“You are requested now, after two years, to furnish us with time frames as to when all these sign boards will be replaced, as your failure to do so is disappointing and embarrassing,” the CA wrote on April 1, 2009.

At the time, Mr Alli said that the roads referred to had been “inherited” from the provincial authorities. “There are no special projects at SANRAL for changing signage and more specifically signage related to name changes. Usually signage changes are done in conjunction with other projects on a specific road,” Mr Alli wrote on May 12, 2009. Alli assured the CA that name changes would be effected as soon as projects on these roads were started with.

Some members of the public remarked that the original changing of the sign boards from Louis Trichardt to Makhado had taken place effectively and at a fast pace. Some changes even took place before the high court decision in September 2005 that the town’s name was to be changed to Makhado, a decision that was set aside 18 months later.

The CA now wants full reasons why SANRAL are not in compliance with the latest court order. They also requested the names of the officials who should have done the necessary changes “so that these officials could be called to book”. The letter to SANRAL was sent with prejudice of rights and the CA warned that the letter would be used against SANRAL in a court of law, should it be necessary.

The name boards creating the contention are mostly along roads in the Limpopo Province.

“The province will not be handling it,” said the senior communication manager of Limpopo’s Department of Roads and Transport, Ms Clarissa Naidoo.

Limpopo government spokesperson Mr Mogale Nchabeleng, confirmed on July 19 that SANRAL is responsible.

“Road signs are a national concern and falls under the competence of SANRAL,” Nchabeleng said.

At the time of going to press, SANRAL’s CEO had not yet responded to media questions, nor to the letter of the CA.