With many Cape Town residents calling for the name of Keizersgracht Street in Distrixt Six to be changed back to the original, Hanover Street, Mayor Dan Plato is urging people to be part of the public participation process.
District Six residents were forcibly removed from their homes on February 11 1966 during the Apartheid regime due to the Group Areas Act of 1950. The residential area became a ‘whites-only’ area. More than 60 000 people from there were moved to locations deemed ‘suitable’ for them to reside in. Over the years following the forced removals, District six has been a hot topic of discussion among social activists and its story is woven into the Mother City’s history. It is not surprising that people who were affected by the events want the street’s name to be changed back to what it was before.
The public participation process will take place between July 15-26 2019. Citizens can join the participation process and share their opinions and comments as well as memories they may have of District Six by emailing [email protected]. This will assist City Council in making an informed decision on the renaming of the street.
“With the legacy of Apartheid still present in many aspects of our daily lives, we need to be mindful of the ways in which we can contribute to addressing the wrongs that were committed. One such way is to restore historical names of places, streets and facilities that may have been changed during Apartheid,” Plato said.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons