Renaming Bellville South park after apartheid victim Clive Cupido
Clive Cupido (25 August 1967 – 29 August 1985) was shot and killed in Bellville South during apartheid.
Image: Supplied
Public participation has concluded on the proposal to rename Eendrag Park in Bellville South to Clive Cupido Memorial Park, in honour of the young man whose death during the apartheid era left a lasting impact on the community.
The City opened the public participation process last month, with residents able to submit comments until Monday.
The proposal followed a petition launched in 2021 by Jason Hanslo, a Bellville-based historian and founder of the Cape Historical Society, calling for the park to be named after Clive Cupido.
The renaming aims to honour Cupido's memory and acknowledge the lived experiences of the Bellville South community during apartheid.
"His death, which was reportedly linked to the actions of apartheid security police, had a profound and lasting impact on the local community,” the City said in a statement.
Cupido was born in Bellville South on August 25, 1967.
He attended Goeie Hoop Primary School and Kasselsvlei High School and was known for his love of rugby.
He was shot and killed on August 29, 1985, during a period of unrest following the Pollsmoor March.
A magistrate later found that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
His funeral, held at the VGK Church in Bellville South, drew large crowds, with mourners filling the church and others gathering outside to listen via loudspeakers.
A procession to Belhar Cemetery followed, led by anti-apartheid cleric Allan Boesak.
Cupido's mother later testified at a Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing at the University of the Western Cape in 1996.
Hanslo said the petition reflected a long-standing desire within the community to preserve the memory of Cupido and the broader history of the area.
“Unlike other areas in South Africa, where people moved throughout the country, residents of Bellville have been living there since slavery.
“We need something tangible, something that will outlive us. We chose this park so that our next generations who use it can keep asking: 'Who is Clive Cupido?'” he said.