Renaming District Six

CITY OF CAPE TOWN 

30 JUNE 2019

STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S EXECUTIVE MAYOR, ALDERMAN DAN PLATO 

City calls on residents to comment on renaming of District Six street

Following a request to rename Keizersgracht in District Six to its historical name of Hanover Street, I am now calling on residents and interested and affected parties to share their views as part of an official public participation process. Read more below:

With the legacy of Apartheid still present in many aspects of our daily lives, we need to be mindful of the ways in which we can contribute to addressing the wrongs that were committed. One such way is to restore historical names of places, streets and facilities that may have been changed during Apartheid. While there are many hardships that people will remember, there are some names that bring joy to our communities, and with that the memories that have positive associations. 

The City recently received a proposal for Keizersgracht in District Six to be renamed Hanover Street. 

The forced removals that took place during Apartheid will always bring painful memories to those who resided in District Six. The proposal is that the renaming could assist in igniting good memories for those who suffered from and experienced these removals.

I am now calling on residents to please share their views with us so that the City Council can consider the comments, and make an informed decision about the proposal to rename Keizersgracht.

The public participation process will officially take place as from 15 July to 26 July 2019. However, Capetonians can already submit their comments and share their stories with us by sending emails to renaming@capetown.gov.za. 

Please let us know if you agree with the proposal to have this street name changed to Hanover Street, and tell us why.

Written submissions can also be dropped off at the City’s subcouncil offices. Adverts will soon be published in newspapers across the city and we will be drawing attention to the process on the radio too.

End

Issued by: Media Office, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Greg Wagner, Spokesperson to the Executive Mayor, Tel: 021 400 9459, Cell: 072 623 4499, Email: Greg.wagner@capetown.gov.za (please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za)