Proposed Port Alfred name change to honour indigenous heritage, community cites tourism risk

There was a showdown between officials and residents at the Port Alfred Civic Centre last week over perceptions of a “rushed process” to change Port Alfred’s name to iCawa or iCoyi, the Kowie River to iQoyi, and Alexandria to Nkosi Chungwa or Emnyameni.

However, Christian Martin, the chairperson of the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Council, said that the proposals to change colonial names complied with international guidelines.

He added that the name change of the iconic Kowie River to its indigenous name, iQoyi, was simply a correction of a misspelling. The names of many other places in the Eastern Cape have already been corrected – such as Umtata to Mthatha, iDutywa to Dutywa, Bisho to Bhisho and Cintsa to Chintsa.

According to a report presented to the committee, the river’s name, Kowie, is a colonial adaptation of a Khoi word, and the proposal is to rename the river to iQyoyi or iCoyi, the isiXhosa name.

The significance of renaming

“Colonial names, such as ‘Kowie’ and the later ‘Port Alfred’, were not neutral designations; they served as instruments of territorial claim and cultural erasure,” the report says. “The continued use of such names reinforces a colonial worldview where indigenous presence was often dismissed or considered non-existent.

“Restoring ‘iQoyi’ is an act of re-establishing this severed historical connection. It acknowledges the enduring trauma of dispossession and seeks to repair it by re-establishing the original cultural and linguistic link to the land, thereby contributing significantly to the healing and reconciliation process envisioned by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” the report says.

It points out that iQoyi or Coyi, which means “rushing water” is also significant as it shows that the isiXhosa language has complex historical ties to the language of the Khoikhoi.

Martin said the word iCoyi also refers to a burning pipe, as this is what the river mouth looked like from high up.

He said iCawa, the proposed name change for Port Alfred, refers to the steeple of a church as this is what the bay looks like.

According to the report, the settlement was known as Port Kowie in 1820 and then as Port Francis. It was renamed Prince Alfred in 1860, after the son of the British queen, Victoria. 

The renaming of the settlement was an act of cultural and historical erasure, the report says

International backing and symbolic importance

The proposed renaming of the Kowie River to iQoyi “aligns perfectly with international best practices and the global movement for the decolonisation of toponyms” championed by the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), the report says. 

“This international backing provides additional weight and legitimacy to South Africa’s domestic efforts, positioning the country as a leader in cultural heritage preservation and restorative justice.”

This shows that South Africa’s initiative is “not an isolated or radical act but part of a recognised global trend and a set of established international guidelines”. The “international validation” provided by UNGEGN principles reinforces the domestic legal and moral arguments for the renaming, the report says.

“It implies that the restoration of the iQoyi River name is not just an internal matter but a contribution to a more accurate, respectful, and decolonised global cartographic and cultural landscape. This global alignment strengthens the case for implementation and discourages any potential international resistance to the change.”

The act of renaming is a “powerful form of symbolic violence reversal” – it transforms a landscape “marked by colonial conquest to one that visibly celebrates indigenous resilience and cultural survival, actively participating in the deconstruction of colonial narratives. 

“If colonial naming constituted a form of symbolic violence that dispossessed indigenous people of their connection to the land and their identity, then renaming is an act of counter-violence –a restorative act that reclaims that connection,” the report says. “It makes visible what was deliberately made invisible, challenging the colonial narrative inscribed on the land.”

The report recommends that the renaming be accompanied by educational and public awareness campaigns to inform South Africans and international visitors about the historical, cultural and linguistic significance of the iQoyi River to “deepen understanding and foster national pride in indigenous heritage”.

Community concerns and process criticism

Martin said he had been upset to see “a group of black men” protesting at the meeting about the name change. He said he suspects the protest may have been set up. 

“We met the residents and other stakeholders of Port Alfred on 6 August. They said they had not had enough time. We agreed to return in 21 days. There were lawyers there, but this was more of a pre-planning meeting.”

He said the community felt the process was rushed, but he claimed that they were trying their best to be accommodating.

Last year, Gayton MacKenzie, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, refused to change the name of Graaff-Reinet, saying there was insufficient information in the application and referring the application back to the South African Geographical Names Council.

Read more: Graaff-Reinet’s name may still change because process has ‘not been finalised’

Residents oppose renaming over tourism fears

Ren Mouton, the chairperson of the Port Alfred Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (Parra), said the initial meeting was attended by 250 to 300 people. 

“We got a lawyer, Marius Coetzee from De Jager Lordan, to help us,” she said. 

She said the meeting had not been called with sufficient notice – the timeframes were too tight and there had been a lack of public notice – “according to the South African Geographical Names Council’s own handbook”.

She said most of the meeting had been taken up by a discussion about the definition of the word “stakeholder”.

“From Parra’s side, our argument is that we are a tourism town. We have no other way to generate income. There are no factories here. We have had many successful campaigns to brand the town and the river. If the name changes, we will have to rebrand,” Mouton said.

“We cannot afford the cost. We are not saying the person who asked for this is wrong. But we want to know what the motivation behind this is.”

Mouton said the name change would destroy their efforts to bolster tourism. “There is a fine line between change and destruction.” 

The overwhelming feeling in town was that the name must stay, she said.

A poll conducted by Sunshine Coast Tourism showed that 93% of residents were against the name change.

Mouton said the application for the name change came at a difficult time for the town, as property owners had been hit by very high increases in electricity and rates.

She said the protest at the meeting was by people who wanted jobs and houses, not a name change.

Martin said: “I hear what people say about tourism, but I think tourists would come for what the place has to offer, not for the name.”

Municipal and political responses

The Ndlambe Local Municipality said in a statement that they had had a constructive dialogue with residents on inclusivity and proper public consultation.

“The meeting, held today at the Port Alfred Town Hall Civic Centre, was set to engage key stakeholders on the applications for renaming the Kowie River and Port Alfred. However, it became clear early on that many residents felt insufficiently informed about the meeting’s date – a requirement that, by law, must be communicated 14 to 21 working days in advance.”

In response to these concerns, the Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee and the Ndlambe Municipality agreed to reschedule the meeting to 10 September 2025.

The municipality acknowledged that one of the key issues raised at the meeting was about the “definition and scope of the term ‘stakeholder’. Some homeowners had expressed concern that the term might exclude ordinary residents. 

Martin had reassured attendees that all entities, organisations and individuals – even if representing a small group – were considered stakeholders, the municipality said. 

“This clarification opens the door for broader participation and ensures that no voice is left out of the dialogue.”

Ndlambe Municipal Speaker Councillor Andile Marasi said those who wanted to comment on the application should submit their names to his office before the meeting in September. 

Following the stakeholder session, there will be a public meeting where community members will be able to express their views before any decisions are finalised.

Political opposition and economic concerns

The Democratic Alliance said that it objected to “the ill-conceived proposal” to change the names of Port Alfred and Alexandria and would take the matter up in national government.

The DA’s Jane Cowley said the proposed renaming would deal a devastating blow to the tourism brand and economy of these towns. She said she had written to McKenzie to urgently request that he set the name change application aside.

“In a province where economic growth peaked at a paltry 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025, and in which the agriculture and motor industries stand to be heavily punished by recently introduced export tariffs, the jobs bloodbath in the Eastern Cape is set to worsen,” she said. 

One of the few remaining tools left to grow the Eastern Cape economy was tourism, Cowley said.

“Research indicates clearly that town and city name changes cause irreparable harm to their tourism brand. Income from tourists contributes significantly to the local government fiscus and sustainable tourism creates sustainable jobs in the hospitality sector.

“Port Alfred, Kenton-on-Sea and Alexandria have also long struggled with massive housing backlogs, poor road infrastructure, and water availability issues, which the Ndlambe Municipality seems powerless to address,” she said.

Cowley added that it was “inconceivable” that any government department would spend millions of rands on name changes when the local government could not even fulfil its mandate of delivering basic services.

“Our shrinking tax base requires that we spend money prudently on the basic services that will allow all our residents to live meaningful lives with dignity. It is only jobs and good basic services, not name changes, that can make this a reality.” DM