KwaZulu-Natal town Ladysmith is now officially known as uMnambithi after Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa officially gazetted several name changes last week.
The change follows renaming consultations that took place in November and December last year which local residents participated in.
Ladysmith is now uMnambithi
Kodwa announced Ladysmith’s name change to uMnambithi in a gazette notice dated 22 March. He also confirmed that William Nicole Drive (R511) in Johannesburg is now Winnie Mandela Drive. Kirkwood, a town in the Eastern Cape, is now officially called Nqweba.
According to South African History Online, Ladysmith was founded in 1850 and was named after the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, who was the British high commissioner in South Africa at the time. Its name now changes for the first time in 174 years.
Kodwa also officially registered existing names of several other geographical locations across South Africa as follows:
Name | Province | Local municipality | Feature |
---|---|---|---|
Gutshwa | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Gutshwakop | Mpumalanga | City of Mbomela | Hill |
Mvangatini | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Mgcobaneni | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Mbonisweni | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Mountain |
Mbonisweni | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Tshwene | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Siligane | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Khumbula | Mpumalanga | City of Mbombela | Settlement |
Makgoba Dam (spelling correction from Makgoebaskloof Dam) | Limpopo | Greater Tzaneen | Dam |
The government has picked up the pace in renaming streets, towns and sites like airports in recent years.
Many of these have taken place in the Eastern Cape. For example, East London Airport and Port Elizabeth International Airport were renamed King Phalo Airport and Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport, respectively, in 2021.
The city of Port Elizabeth was similarly renamed Gqheberha in 2021.