Residents of Winnie Mandela Town, previously known as Brandfort, maintain that the name change of the town will not improve service delivery. In September, the Free State government announced its intention to host an official unveiling ceremony of the name change.
The government’s decision, which was later postponed, brought anger among the now Winnie Mandela town residents. This led to road signs depicting the name change to Winnie Mandela being defaced.
Residents said resources used to arrange the ceremony should have been diverted to service delivery. A marquee was erected with a stage and two small tents opposite Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Museum, but the event was postponed.
The town was formerly named after the president of the erstwhile Orange Free State, Johannes Brand. It was proclaimed a town in 1874.
The postponed ceremony was going to coincide with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s birth date. She would have turned 85-years this year.
Some residents were totally against the name change and demanded public participation.
“It was gonna be better if only they were renaming only the street she used to live in, not the entire town because Bandfort is known as Majwemasweu.”
“Our children have been growing up here, they should know the history of Brandfort but if things change to Winnie it will be difficult for them.”
Government said the renaming process had taken almost three years to conclude. The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture and Recreation, Nathi Mthethwa, gazetted the renaming of Brandfort to Winnie Mandela on the 6th of August. The African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported the move.
Oupa Khoabane is the Free State ANC Interim Provincial Committee spokesperson..
“Our heroes and heroines need to be celebrated, therefore there is nothing wrong in remembering them with dignity because they were part of the struggle and mama Winnie is one of them.”
Free State EFF Secretary Bosanku Msimanga says the name change is long overdue.
“The reason why the place name is Brandfort is because land thieves of Ruben origin invaded and colonised the area to an extent that our ancestors were brutalised to a point of accepting the name Brandfort as a norm. Hence, we support the name change to mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela but that must be coupled with service delivery.”
But the Democreatic Alliance (DA) said government overlooked procedures when deciding on the name change. DA councillor Marieta Visser says there was no response to the petitions or public participation.
“Since the gazetting of the Brandfort name change to Winnie Mandela Town on the 6th of August, we never had any response from the minister for sports Nathi Mthethwa. The community spoke out against this name change, and more than 700 signs a petition. The minister also did not respond to public participation.”
It’s now unclear when will the unveiling ceremony take place.
Mixed reactions to approval of name change of the town of Brandfort to Winnie Mandela:
