Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has called for public input on a recommendation to rename Table Bay Boulevard after former president FW De Klerk.
The recommendation by the city’s naming committee came after mayor Patricia De Lille had last month received a written proposal from prominent figures like Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Premier Helen Zille, naming committee chairman Brett Herron said on Thursday.
The recommendation would be tabled at the council sitting on Wednesday, said Herron, who urged the public to make submissions.
“The request is for the renaming to take place on or close to February 2, 2015. It is signed by 27 prominent residents, including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Western Cape Premier Helen Zille. The signatories believe the proposed date for the renaming of Table Bay Boulevard is befitting as it will be exactly a quarter of a century ago that former president De Klerk delivered his historic speech before Parliament,” Herron said.
He said the proposal complied with the city’s naming policy which stated that although names of living persons should be avoided, it was still allowed to rename after people who had achieved international recognition
De Klerk said: “I am honoured and touched by the decision of the City of Cape Town. I would, however, like to stress that this is not an honour that I sought – since in my heart I am not at all sure that, with one or two exceptions, geographic locations should be renamed in honour of living people.”
“I would nevertheless be prepared to accept the honour - not on my own behalf but on behalf of all those who supported my efforts while I was president to negotiate a new non-racial constitutional democracy for all our people.”
Cape Times