Issued by: The Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology
5 NOVEMBER 1998
Minister Lionel Mtshali will today introduce The South African Geographical Names Council Bill, 1998 in the National Assembly.
In a multicultural and multilingual country such as South Africa, where different groups traditionally use different names for a place, it is crucial to ensure uniformity in the use of names and to prevent unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding.
The National Place Names Committee has performed this function since 1939, but its too narrow mandate (excluding, for example the names of topographical features) and the absence of legislation hampered its effectiveness.
The Bill is designed to establish the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC), a permanent advisory body whose main function will be to advise the Minister responsible for arts and culture on names to be used for official purposes, of populated and unpopulated places and geographical features and to give the Minister the power to approve or reject proposed geographical names.
The establishment of the Council is in accordance with the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage. Wide representation of all the language and cultural groups of South African society and the particular expertise of its members will ensure that the Commission will be acceptable to all groupings within the South African community.
The objects and functions of the Council are, amongst others, to ensure the standardisation of geographical names within South Africa, to promote the use of standardised geographical names and to give particular attention to matters of redress in respect of complaints regarding geographical names.
For more information, please contact Frans Basson at (021) 454 870/850 Fax (021) 461 4537