AfriForum gives Minister time to Thursday to withdraw notice
The civil rights initiative, AfriForum, handed a letter of demand to the office of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Lulu Xingwana, asking her to give an undertaking that the approval of Tshwane as place name, will be withdrawn.
The letter also demands that a rectification notice should be published in the Government Gazette not later than the 5th of February 2010 to remove Tshwane from the list of approved place names.
This follows after AfriForum consulted with senior advocates in Pretoria early this morning regarding the most suitable legal remedy for saving the name of Pretoria.
The name-changing saga dates back to March 2005 when the Tshwane Metropolitan Council decided to submit an application to the South African Geographical Names Council, without a process of public consultation, to register Tshwane as place name.
In August 2007, AfriForum successfully applied for an injunction in the High Court of Pretoria when it came to light that the Metropolitan Council intended to replace Pretoria road signs with Tshwane signs.
On 25 and 26 March 2010 a case will be heard in the High Court in Pretoria with the aim of reaching finality about the name issue.
Statement issued by AfriForum February 2 2010
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