By Staff Reporter
QWAQWA- The Free State Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (DSACR)
has welcomed the gazetting of the renaming of Brandfort town to Winnie Mandela town as announced on Friday 6 August 2021.
Commenting about this renaming process, the Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mrs Limakatso Mahasa said: “We welcome the renaming of Brandfort to Winnie Mandela as this is part of transforming our heritage landscape and to ensure that it reflects the demographics of our country and province. Winnie Mandela is a liberation stalwart who contributed immensely towards the liberation of South Africa and her activism in Brandfort
needs to be celebrated by all. We are confident that this renaming process meets all legal requirements and we endorse the name change as brought forth
by the community of Brandfort.”
This milestone coincides with women’s month wherein South African women are celebrated as
part of reflecting back to the 09 August 1956 march which saw approximately 20 000 women from all races and walks of life petitioning the then apartheid regime for its racist pass laws enforced under the Population Registration Act.
Unpacking the procedure towards renaming DSACR in a statement says proper required procedure has been followed.
“Working through its Provincial Geographical Names Council (PGNC), officially started the renaming process in 2018 by consulting with the local community as well as the Mandela family. The proposal for the renaming process was also widely communicated with the public through mediums such as newspaper adverts, loud-hailing and community meetings.”
Madikizela-Mandela is recognised for her role she played in the fight against apartheid , she was banished to House 802 in Brandfort on 16 May 1977 ,as a tactic of the apartheid regime to silence her and diminish her spirit but true to her resilience and revolutionary conduct, Winnie Mandela continued to fight the injustice of the regime and mobilised the community of Brandfort.
Her banishment to Brandfort, Winnie Mandela defied orders given to her by the authorities and often mingled with local community, especially working women, and imparted political education on them.
The change was announced by minister of Minister of Sport , Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa last Friday.
The town’s name was changed in terms of Section 10(2) of South African Geographic Names Council Act,118 of 1998 to honour the legacy of the struggle icon Winne Madikizela-Mandela.
