Mantashe favours Pretoria

By Khanyisa Tabata
12 February 2010

Gwede Mantashe says Pretoria should retain its name, and the greater metropolitan area should be named Tshwane.

The African National Congress secretary general conceded that this compromise would only be achieved through negotiation.

Mantashe agrees that white Afrikaans speaking people should protect that which is dear to them.

But they also need to honour historic truths, like wars that drove out the original owners of the land.

Civil rights initiative AfriForum has welcomed Gwede Mantashe’s view that the name of South Africa’s capital should remain Pretoria, but that the metropolitan area should be Tshwane.

Kallie Kriel says AfriForum hopes the elements in the ANC who want to change the name at all costs, will now abandon their plans