Concern over Mandela Boulevard
Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela
ELLA SMOOK
Metro Writer
The Nelson Mandela Foundation wants an assurance from the City of Cape Town that the former president and global icon’s image will be protected against commercialisation, if the go-ahead is given for his name to be used in the renaming of Eastern Boulevard.
The city council approved the first four name changes for public places and roads last year, but some of the proposed changes are subject to personal acceptance before changes can be made.
Eastern Boulevard is to be renamed Nelson Mandela Boulevard, Oswald Pirow will be called Christiaan Barnard Street, a pedestrian section of Castle Street between Adderley and Burg streets is to be named Krotoa Place, and the plaza spanning Hertzog Boulevard between the civic centre and Artscape is to become Albert Luthuli Place.
Alderman Owen Kinahan, who heads the city’s naming policy process, told the Cape Argus that the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Luthuli Foundation and the Barnard family had all been consulted.
“The latter two have given their consent and, understandably, we are still expecting a response from the Nelson Mandela Foundation,” said Kinahan.
Foundation spokesman Sello Hatang confirmed that the institution has been in contact with the city.
“We indicated that in principle we do not have any objection to the renaming,” he said.
“Our main concern, and it is not unique to this case, it has been expressed all over the world, is about guarding against the commercialisation of Madiba’s image as a result of naming a street after him.”
Hatang said that provision had to be made to prevent, for instance, a street being named after Mandela, and then “the next day you have a shop opening there called Nelson Mandela-something. The commercialisation element is what we are concerned about
.
Meanwhile, Kinahan said that concerns over the naming of the pedestrian section raised by a descendant of Eva Krotoa, the niece of Khoi leader Autshomato, has been “fully discussed with the mayor”.
“There was a contrary view from another descendant. This makes it even more important that the intention of remembering Krotoa has the effect of informing us about her role in the early history of Cape Town.”
In this regard, “the city’s planning department would be tasked with coming up with some ideas in common with the city’s policy on dignified places”, said Kinahan.
Asked whether signage has been ordered yet, Kinahan said that a technical report including costs for the change from Oswald Pirow to Christiaan Barnard would commence shortly.