NWest name change repugnant: FFPlus

Freedom Front Plus North West province leader Pieter Groenewald. File picture by Jennifer Bruce

Freedom Front Plus North West province leader Pieter Groenewald. File picture by Jennifer Bruce

Published Feb 13, 2013

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Polokwane - A proposal by the North West to change the name of the province to Moses Kotane is repugnant, the FFPlus said on Wednesday.

Freedom Front Plus provincial leader Pieter Groenewald said the change was a waste of taxpayers' money and disregarded cultural diversity.

“The name 'North West' is neutral and accommodates everybody in the province,” he said in a statement.

“To want to change this to Moses Kotane creates repugnance with some people, as not everyone shares his political views.”

Kotane was the general secretary of the SA Communist Party from 1939 to 1978.

Last month, provincial African National Congress chairman Supra Mahumapelo reportedly said the party was contemplating a name change for the province because North West was “just a direction”.

Groenewald said the name change discussion was being used to distract attention from problems in the province.

“The FFPlus will definitely oppose the name change,” he said.

Democratic Alliance provincial leader Chris Hattingh said on Wednesday the name change was a sign of factional battles in the ANC.

“This, Mr Mahumapelo’s announcement, is an attempt to get ahead of Premier Thandi Modise, who was likely to address the name change in her forthcoming state-of-the-province address,” he said.

“Mahumapelo’s announcement made the name change a rallying-point in his struggle for the premier’s position, which has evaded him for such a long time.”

Mahumapelo was not immediately available for comment.

Hattingh said Mahumapelo was using Kotane's name to gain support from the North West SACP.

“Moses Kotane would certainly not have associated himself with what the NW (North West) ANC has transformed itself into,” he said. - Sapa

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