Minister Marais to submit application to change Zonnebloem to District Six

As we close Heritage Month 2019, Minister Anroux Marais will today submit the supported application to the National Minister of Arts and Culture, Minister Nathi Mthethwa to officially approve the name change from Zonnebloem to District Six after which it will be gazetted.

This follows the District Six Museum’s application to the Western Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee (WCPGNC) on 19 October 2018. The application was to change the name of the current Zonnebloem suburb within the City of Cape Town to District Six as it is commonly known to the local community. Subsequently the WCPGNC invited representatives from the District Six Museum to present their application to the committee on 15 February 2019. 

As part of the application, the District Six Museum undertook a broad public participation process as required by the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000. The process included awareness of the proposed name change through door-to-door plunges within the community, radio announcements and interviews on Voice of the Cape, Cape Talk, SABC radio, Radio Tygerberg, RSG, and media articles and TV interviews.

Subsequently the WCPGNC resolved to support the application at a meeting on 14 June 2019 and it was forwarded to Minister Marais. On 17 September 2019 Minister Marais penned her support for the name change application and now seeks the sign off of the National Minister to be gazetted.

Minister Marais said, “It is hoped that the name change will clearly communicate to the community and residents of District Six, that you have been seen, you have been heard and that you do belong”.