Cape Town - Following a request to rename Keizersgracht in District Six to its historical name of Hanover Street, Mayor Dan Plato has now called on residents and interested and affected parties to share their views as part of an official public participation process.
"With the legacy of Apartheid still present in many aspects of our daily lives, we need to be mindful of the ways in which we can contribute to addressing the wrongs that were committed. One such way is to restore historical names of places, streets and facilities that may have been changed during Apartheid," Plato said.
"While there are many hardships that people will remember, there are some names that bring joy to our communities, and with that the memories that have positive associations.
"The City recently received a proposal for Keizersgracht in District Six to be renamed Hanover Street.
"The forced removals that took place during Apartheid will always bring painful memories to those who resided in District Six.
Plato said that the proposal in renaming the street could ignite good memories for those who suffered from and experienced the removals.
"I am now calling on residents to please share their views with us so that the City Council can consider the comments, and make an informed decision about the proposal to rename Keizersgracht."
The public participation process will officially take place as from 15 July to 26 July 2019. However, Capetonians can already submit their comments and share their stories by sending emails to [email protected].
"Please let us know if you agree with the proposal to have this street name changed to Hanover Street, and tell us why," Plato said.
* Written submissions can also be dropped off at the City’s subcouncil offices. Adverts will soon be published in newspapers across the city and the CIty will be drawing attention to the process on the radio too.