LETTER | We cannot put a price on a nation reclaiming its heritage

One learnt with dismay the other day about a new multi-purpose property development in Nelson Mandela Bay to be called Coega Ridge.

Why Coega? Why not Ngqura Ridge?

At a time when previously colonised people around the world are reclaiming their identity and national heritage, why do we still defer to the bastardisation of our place names by the colonial masters of yesteryear?

Yes, I know. Critics of change will readily point to the inconvenience and the “waste” of funds which they will argue should rather be devoted to deserving causes.

But can anyone realistically put rands and cents to the value of a nation reclaiming its identity and heritage for the benefit of future generations?

For those among us who are inclined to bring up the “inconvenience” argument let me share the small example of India, a nation of 1.4-billion people.

The people of Mumbai decided to do away with Bombay which was an anglicised corruption of the original name.

We are talking about a metropolitan region of some 25-million people.

And we are still moaning about a relatively small number of businesses in our cities having to procure new stationery because of a name change.

And there are many other examples. For instance, Calcutta (population 16-million) became Kolkata to align the city’s name to its Bengali pronunciation and to shed the anglicised name imposed by British colonial rulers.

Even countries have changed their names to reclaim their identity. Sri Lanka was previously Ceylon.

Turkey is now Turkiye. It may look like a small matter of spelling but the political message is hugely significant.

President Tayyip Erdogan says the native name represents the nation’s values and history.

Here at home, one was elated when Graaff-Reinet was named after Mangaliso Sobukwe, a long overdue honour.

Sense also prevailed elsewhere and East London recently became KuGompo.

There was never anything London about the city in the first place, except the imposition by British settlers.

In their conquest over the native people they went on a rampage corrupting indigenous names.

Nxarhuni became Nahoon. Gqunube was bastardised to Gonubie, and countless other examples.

If the settlers thought it was beneath them to bother to pronounce the indigenous place names correctly then it behoves us to show the world, like other previously colonised people have done, that we cherish our identity and heritage.

One always finds it wrenching for instance to look at the bold branding of a certain farm stall on the N2 which happens to be a popular pit stop among tourists and locals alike.

The name of that locality is Ncanarha. That is the name we have a duty to pass on to our great grandchildren.

It is already an absurdity that two major business establishments — the Port of Ngqura and the Coega IDZ — stand side by side with different versions of the same name.

In this day and age, the corrupted version should not be allowed to stand.

Respect for indigenous place names is respect for the language.

Respect for the language is respect for the people who speak it.