The Chairpersons Association (CA) has requested the local business fraternity not to change any stationery, business cards or letterheads with regard to the name change of the town of Louis Trichardt until all legal processes have been followed.

Their call comes after the publication of the changing of the name of Louis Trichardt to Makhado in the Government Gazette of Friday, 15 October.

“The Minister will be requested to put a hold on all name changes until the finalisation of the review. The name change will cost R18 million. No proper consultation process was followed and Makhado was a highly controversial figure not accepted by all,” says Mr André Naudé, chairperson of the CA, in a press release.

Naudé says they want to make it clear that the CA does not want to be seen as “anti-Venda” as they strive to reconcile all different viewpoints on the basis of  stressing good corporate governance, public consultation on public matters, strong leadership and erasing corruption, tribalism and nepotism.

“We would like to see on all levels of decisions made by the Local Authority and other Authorities, that the residents of the area be consulted properly and reasonably in order firstly to establish a need and secondly in order to establish as to what decisions should be made in respect of such a need,” Naudé says. He adds that consultation is regarded as a basic principle of a democratic society and whenever an authority acts otherwise  - as in the instance of this name change – it is regarded as an undemocratic approach and totally unacceptable to the communities of South Africa.