Reaction from the lead map namer at Rand McNally.
After this photo was taken he was overheard screaming in the lobby; "WHY, WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE THE NAMES ALONE!! DON'T THEY KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO CHANGE OUR MAPS?!?!?"
Posted on 03/08/2005 12:27:50 PM PST by HAL9000
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's capital has renamed itself Tshwane and the 150-year-old name, Pretoria, will only refer to the city center, an official said on Tuesday.Pretoria itself will not include the seat of power, where Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first black president in 1994.
The African National Congress-dominated council decided to adopt the new name late on Monday and the South African Geographic Names Council, which has the final say, is expected to give its assent.
The city's new name comes from a chief who ruled in the area before the Voortrekkers, settlers of Dutch and French Huguenot descent, arrived in the 19th century and founded the city, which they called after one of their leaders.
"The decision of council yesterday was that the capital should be Tshwane and Pretoria is but a small suburb," said council spokesman William Baloyi.
The imposing Union Buildings, which house the presidency on a hilltop overlooking the city, fall in the suburb of Arcadia, not Pretoria, Baloyi said.
Tshwane had been used for the past 10 years to refer to the greater metropolitan area around the city, which is home to about 2.5 million people.
Established in 1855, Pretoria was named after Andries Pretorius, a leader of the Afrikaans-speaking settlers who "trekked" into the interior of the country to escape British rule.
Almost 11 years after the end of white minority rule, many place and street names in South Africa still echo the country's colonial and apartheid-era past.
One of Johannesburg's main streets is still named after Hendrik Verwoerd, the architect of apartheid and the doctrine of "separate development" used to justify racial segregation.
Going, going, gone :(
Great song..."Way down upon Tshwane River".
We are marching to ... Tshwane? It doesn't have quite the same ring.
"We are marching to Tshwane..." Hmmmmmm it doesn't have the ring to it the old song name had.
This is utterly ridiculous. Say farewell to the Beloved Country.
Regards, Ivan
Great minds go in the same direction...
Yes, and I was afraid nobody would even remember that "Whitey" song.
Turning this once fertile and productive nation over to a gaggle of communist inspired lunatics was sheer genius.
Wonder how long the wineries of Capetown will be able to hold out before a gang of neo Mau Maus will take over and turn the vineyards into sorghum beer breweries.
First, Rhodesia, now Pretoria. Next up, Johannesburg.....
Already did that...years ago.
ZA ping.
Now repeat after me, but first, remember a certain clucking sound, inserted directly into speech, that you might have heard in the film "The Gods Must Be Crazy"....
"T(cluck)schwanaaay"
"T(click)schwanaaay"
Any questions? ;)
What's the correct pronunciation? With a Tsh, is that a "tish" sound?
The slow painful transformation from a strong economy, exporting country to a third world dump...just like their neighbors to the north. I guess we ought to just get used to the idea that we will have to feed them too eventually.
Reaction from the lead map namer at Rand McNally.
After this photo was taken he was overheard screaming in the lobby; "WHY, WHY CAN'T THEY LEAVE THE NAMES ALONE!! DON'T THEY KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO CHANGE OUR MAPS?!?!?"
Our goobermint shouldn't be feeding anyone, especially the abortion that South Africa has become.
As far as the rest of Africa, the European nations that granted these tin horn nations their "independence" should have to go back in and take over. The inhabitants are incapable of ruling themselves.
How sad.
This changing of names is so....third worldish.
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