Council approves name changes to honour Prof. Jakes Gerwel, Joe Marks and Sidney Kuhn
The City of Cape Town's Council today, 24 April 2014, adopted the Naming Committee's recommendations to rename Vanguard Drive to Jakes Gerwel Drive and Concert Boulevard to Joe Marks Boulevard, as well as the renaming of the new Civic Centre in Macassar to the Kuhn Civic Centre. Read more below:
Jakes Gerwel
The proposal to honour the late Professor Gerwel by renaming Vanguard Drive after him was submitted to the City by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, of which Gerwel was the founding chairperson. Since Vanguard Drive does not bear the name of any historical figure and seeing that Gerwel was most active professionally and otherwise in the suburbs adjacent to Vanguard Drive, it was motivated that the renaming is geographically appropriate. More than 600 residents participated in the city-wide public participation process. Those who supported the proposal agreed that the late Professor Gerwel is a worthy icon to be honoured and that his achievements as a senior member of former President Nelson Mandela's administration should be recognised.
Under his leadership as the Vice Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Western Cape between 1987 and 1994, a generation of professionals were educated - many of whom have taken to heart his belief in the human spirit and community. Jakes Gerwel was committed to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society and his spirit is reflected in his deeply held commitment to education, anti-racism and political freedom.
The professor knew his community well and never forgot his roots as a coloured Afrikaner intellectual, committed to non-racialism and radical change. He also had a passion for Afrikaans as a unifying language, rather than a source of racial division, and was deeply committed to artists and creative workers. He remained a child of the Karoo and the Cape Flats, commuting between Somerset East and Belhar, where he lived from the early 1970s until his death on 28 November 2012.
Joe Marks
A public participation process on the proposal to rename Concert Boulevard in Retreat to Joe Marks Boulevard was conducted in September 2013 and involved more than 1 000 participants. Those in favour of the name change stated that Joe Marks was a worthy leader and role model, a household name in Steenberg, and a man who served his community. Born on 22 April 1936, Joseph 'Joe' Johannes Marks moved from Mossel Bay to Cape Town in 1950, whereafter he became actively involved in liberation politics, as well as with community organisations such as the Athlone Civic Association. Marks served as the vice-president of the United Democratic Front and he was a member of parliament from 1994 to 1999 for the Democratic Party. He loved spending time playing chess and was also a keen pigeon racer. Marks passed away in 2011.
Sidney Kuhn
Subcouncil 22 submitted a motion to rename the old and the new Civic Centres in Macassar to the Herandien Civic Centre and the Kuhn Civic Centre respectively. During the public participation process which was conducted in September 2013, it was stated that both Cecil Herandien and Sidney Kuhn contributed to the development of this suburb and that it was fitting to honour both men in this way. Nearly 1 700 residents participated, with approximately 60% supporting the new names.
The Naming Committee recommended that the new Civic Centre be renamed the Sidney Kuhn Civic Centre. The renaming of the old Civic Centre in Macassar has been referred back to the Subcouncil for reconsideration as the name ‘Herandien' was in breach of Section 5.1 of the Naming Policy because Cecil Herandien is still alive.
Statement issued by Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, City of Cape Town, April 24 2014
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