The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has reignited calls to rename the Free State town of Harrismith, arguing its current name glorifies a brutal colonial past.
In a parliamentary Q&A session, ATM MP Vuyolwethu Zungula pressed Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie to initiate formal renaming processes for towns honouring figures linked to indigenous oppression, Cape {town} Etc reports.
According to BusinessTech, established in 1849 and named after British Governor Sir Harry Smith, the town’s moniker remains a raw wound for the AmaXhosa Kingdom.
Smith infamously captured and killed King Hintsa kaKhawuta in 1835, an act Zungula calls ‘a lasting insult’.
‘These names force communities to celebrate their oppressors,’ Zungula argued, also referencing Smithfield (Free State) and the already-renamed Aliwal North (now Maletswai).
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This isn’t the first push for change:
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2005: Proposed rename to Intabazwe (meaning ‘between mountains’ in Sesotho)
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2014/15: Revival rejected by locals via petition
Harrismith’s colonial heritage complicates the debate, ranging from Anglo-Boer War landmarks to its N3 highway pitstop status.
Meanwhile, McKenzie rebuffed the ATM’s request, stating, ‘Communities must drive renaming through proper channels. My department doesn’t initiate these processes.’
The debate over Harrismith’s name encapsulates South Africa’s ongoing struggle to reconcile its colonial past with an inclusive future.
The renewed push by the ATM reflects ongoing tensions around colonial-era place names in South Africa.
While the party frames the renaming as a necessary step toward historical redress, resistance from some Harrismith residents in previous years illustrates the complexity of reconciling differing community perspectives.
Renaming efforts elsewhere in the country have often faced logistical, financial and symbolic challenges, underscoring the importance of inclusive public participation.
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Picture: Getty Images
