Graaff-Reinet is a historic rural town in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. It seldom makes headlines. But when, in August 2023, residents received word that the town’s name might change to Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Graaff-Reinet was all over the news. Some residents were reportedly outraged by the idea.
Place name changes are not uncommon in South Africa, but they are still sensitive issues that can unify or divide communities.
For place names to change, there must first be a process of public consultation. As a professor of geography with a research focus on small towns in South Africa, I conducted a study to test public opinion about the proposed name change in Graaff-Reinet.
The study revealed that the vast majority (83.6%) of those surveyed across various population groups indicated that they didn’t want the town’s colonial-era name to be changed.
“Graaff-Reinetters” are clearly invested in the town’s identity. They have formed new memories, and no longer associate the name with the past – they didn’t appear to feel much of an attachment to the name Robert Sobukwe. Others thought a name change was a waste of money.
Understanding residents’ opinions in cases like Graaff-Reinet provides insights into cultural and political shifts in South Africa. They reveal the complex interplay between place names, identity and social cohesion.
Who is Graaff-Reinet named after?
Renaming places is often an effort to address historical injustices and colonial impacts. This process is seen as part of decolonising society and honouring the rights and identities of indigenous communities.
Europeans first settled in South Africa in 1652 and the country was colonised until 1948, with the formal introduction of apartheid and its system of white minority rule. The country’s first democratic elections were in 1994.
Graaff-Reinet was established in 1786. The town was named after the Dutch governor, Cornelis Jacob van der Graaff, and Reinet, the maiden name of his wife, Cornelia.
Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe was born in Graaff-Reinet in 1924 and was a political activist and founder of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), which fought against the injustices of colonialism and apartheid.
Read more: Robert Sobukwe: equal status in the pantheon of South African activists is long overdue
One of the questions we asked residents was about the origin of the town’s name. Three-quarters attempted to answer. The majority (69.8%) simply stated that the town was named after a man and his wife. Another portion (16.7%) correctly identified that the town was named after a governor and his wife.
Of the 251 respondents who tried to identify who Sobukwe was, 29.9% associated him with the PAC; 32.7% associated him with the freedom struggle; and 24.6% indicated that he had some roots in Graaff-Reinet.
The study
The strata for the sample frame in the study were the three previous Group Areas Act areas of the town: apartheid divided the population into different racial groups, mainly black, white and coloured (mixed race).
Our study across these three sections was carefully calculated to ensure the results would reflect Graaff-Reinet’s population, with a 5% margin of error. Of the 367 respondents interviewed, 18.8% identified as white, 27.2% as black, and 54% as coloured. Afrikaans is the predominant language in Graaff-Reinet (72.1%) followed by isiXhosa (21.1%) and English (6.6%). Three quarters of the respondents had been living in Graaff-Reinet for more than 20 years, indicating a stable and long-standing community.
The questionnaire, with fieldwork conducted by a diverse group of university students, gathered data on demographics, opinions on renaming, and connections to Graaff-Reinet. Participants were asked several questions, including whether they found the current name offensive or associated it with any particular connotation.
More findings
Contrary to expectations, 83.6% of respondents opposed a name change, valuing the town’s historical significance.
The study revealed a strong sense of community identity and place attachment to the name Graaff-Reinet. Many residents felt that changing the name would erase part of their identity as “Graaff-Reinetters”.
One unemployed male from the former coloured group area who had been living in Graaff-Reinet for 57 years said:
If you name a child and then change the name it is someone else.
A smaller percentage felt that the focus should be on service delivery, not name changes. In other words, to rather spend money on improving lives than on changing names. Respondents also highlighted the economic importance of the town’s current brand, especially for tourism.
Black respondents were the most undecided (13%) and the highest percentage who said that the name should change (32%). Interesting to note is that since the 1960s many Xhosa-speaking residents have elected to use the word “Irafhu” to name their town. This is a phonetic rendition of “Graaff-Reinet”.
What this means
The study underscores the significant role toponyms (place names) play in defining a place’s identity and are reinforced by connection to community. The findings affirm that Graaff-Reinet’s name has evolved in meaning, fostered by strong newer connections to the town people call home.
Unlike many South African cities marked by clear racial divisions in opinions on name changes, Graaff-Reinet demonstrates a notable cross-race resistance to name changes. Although spatial racial divides exist in Graaff-Reinet, it does not appear to be the same for interrelations.
According to this study, few respondents today associate the town Graaff-Reinet with its colonial origins. It has taken on a new meaning, one shaped by newer memories and experiences. Names are more than just labels – they are repositories of collective memory and identity.
In July 2024, the country’s newly appointed minister of sport, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, rejected the proposed name change. However, the Eastern Cape’s names committee is reported to have stated that the process is continuing.
It is advisable for the government to adopt a thoughtful approach to changes in place names, taking into account their effects on identity, community cohesion, and economic factors.
