Outspoken Arts and Culture Minister, Nathi Mthethwa has vowed to lobby the ANC’s National Executive Committee in an open discussion on finding an “appropriate” name for South Africa, according to a report in the June 13 edition of The Mercury.
Mthethwa who was speaking to party supporters during a cadre’s forum on Sunday, pointed out that South Africa is not the name of the country, but is just “a geographical description of where we are”.
He noted that the ANC had never given itself time to think about the name of the country, and that as his department had power to change the naming of public areas, there was now an opportunity to rename the country to one that was more reflective of the country’s past and its people.
People have taken to social media, under the hashtag “Azania” to speak for and against the idea. Azania being the most likely title to be put forward as a replacement.
Reactions to the suggestion have been mixed, with some saying it is a change to truly break free from the country’s colonial past while others think it’s needless and costly.
