Welcome to Makhanda, formerly known as Grahamstown
3 October 2018
It's welcome to Makhanda and goodbye to Grahamstown after Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa announced that he had made a final determination on the name change on Tuesday evening.
In a statement, Mthethwa announced the final decision regarding the gazetted name change of the Eastern Cape town to Makhanda after fulfilling all legal obligations for the change.
In June, the minister published in the Government Gazette No 41738 the approval of the renaming of Grahamstown to Makhanda after receiving a recommendation from the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC).
Mthethwa's spokesperson Asanda Magaqa said more than 332 objections to the name change were received, with reasons including lack of consultation, historical sentiment and nostalgia and the cost implications of the name change.