News / National
South Africa's colonial name to be changed?
02 Jul 2025 at 19:36hrs | Views
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) and other political parties plan to approach parliament and the Constitutional Review Committee to change South Africa's name to the Republic of Azania, among other things.
The political party is arguing that the current name is a relic of colonialism and does not reflect the true identity of the people in South Africa.
ATM president and parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula said the name "South Africa" was imposed during colonisation and is deeply tied to the oppressive systems created by the British and the Boers.
"Before 1652, we were not South Africans. The name 'South Africa' came as a result of the British and the Boers coming together to form what was called the Union of South Africa, a structure designed to further the oppression of indigenous people," he said.
Zungula believes that changing this name is about reclaiming heritage and national pride.
"All formerly colonised nations, like South West Africa, have changed their name. We now know it to be Namibia," he explained.
"The country is the name given to them by colonisers. It is an identity. It is your heritage. You can't expect South Africans to hold on to an identity that was imposed on them."
Therefore, they are putting forward a proposal to change the name of the country from the Republic of South Africa to "the Republic of Azania."
The proposal, however, is already being criticised. Political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe dismissed it as unnecessary and irrelevant, saying the name "South Africa" is simply a geographic description and not unique.
"Other countries like South Sudan, Central African Republic, North Macedonia, East Timor, and North and South Korea also use geographical identifiers. It's nothing out of the ordinary," he said.
He added that "Azania" is not widely embraced and is mainly used by black radicals in academia and politics who wish to symbolically reject the legacy of apartheid and white supremacy.
"The name ‘Azania' lacks authentic historical, cultural, political, or linguistic connections to South Africa and its people, reinforcing doubts about its relevance and appropriateness as a national name," Mokgatlhe said.
The name change is part of a broader set of proposed constitutional amendments that the party will submit to the Constitutional Review Committee.
The committee is expected to debate each proposed clause before public hearings are held.
According to Zungula, the overall goal is to reclaim national sovereignty and address what the party sees as structural imbalances embedded in the Constitution.
One key change the ATM is calling for is the replacement of the word "everyone" with "citizens" in sections of the Constitution.
Zungula argued that the current language has led to legal ambiguities and created a situation where non-citizens can claim rights and access services meant for South Africans.
"There needs to be instances where the Constitution is very clear. When it says ‘everyone', it refers to every person," he said.
"This is regardless of whether they are legal, illegal, or not even citizens of South Africa. But when it says ‘citizen', it should be clear that it refers to bona fide citizens of our country."
Zungula believes that when the Constitution was first drafted, the ruling ANC sought to reassure the global community that South Africa would not mirror the discriminatory practices of the apartheid regime.
However, he feels this effort has come at the cost of prioritising South Africans.
"In doing so, they created a Constitution that prioritised being open and inclusive at the cost of national interest and sovereignty," he said.
Another proposed amendment focuses on shifting the balance of power between the courts and Parliament.
Zungula said the courts currently hold too much authority over lawmaking. "We want Parliament, as the voice of the people, to be the final arbiter of laws—not the courts," he said.
Land reform is also high on the ATM's agenda, with Zungula aiming at Section 25 of the Constitution, which limits land restitution to dispossession after 1913.
He said this timeframe excludes many South Africans whose land was taken before then. The party is also calling for a ban on land ownership by foreign nationals, arguing that their stronger currencies push up land prices and disadvantage locals.
"Foreign nationals must only be allowed to lease land. That is the practice in many other countries," Zungula said.
Another major issue the ATM wants to address is the ownership of natural resources. Zungula said South Africa's mineral wealth enriches foreign companies while local communities remain impoverished.
"We are saying the mineral wealth must be owned by South Africans and managed by the state for the benefit of the country."
The political party is arguing that the current name is a relic of colonialism and does not reflect the true identity of the people in South Africa.
ATM president and parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula said the name "South Africa" was imposed during colonisation and is deeply tied to the oppressive systems created by the British and the Boers.
"Before 1652, we were not South Africans. The name 'South Africa' came as a result of the British and the Boers coming together to form what was called the Union of South Africa, a structure designed to further the oppression of indigenous people," he said.
Zungula believes that changing this name is about reclaiming heritage and national pride.
"All formerly colonised nations, like South West Africa, have changed their name. We now know it to be Namibia," he explained.
"The country is the name given to them by colonisers. It is an identity. It is your heritage. You can't expect South Africans to hold on to an identity that was imposed on them."
Therefore, they are putting forward a proposal to change the name of the country from the Republic of South Africa to "the Republic of Azania."
The proposal, however, is already being criticised. Political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe dismissed it as unnecessary and irrelevant, saying the name "South Africa" is simply a geographic description and not unique.
"Other countries like South Sudan, Central African Republic, North Macedonia, East Timor, and North and South Korea also use geographical identifiers. It's nothing out of the ordinary," he said.
He added that "Azania" is not widely embraced and is mainly used by black radicals in academia and politics who wish to symbolically reject the legacy of apartheid and white supremacy.
"The name ‘Azania' lacks authentic historical, cultural, political, or linguistic connections to South Africa and its people, reinforcing doubts about its relevance and appropriateness as a national name," Mokgatlhe said.
The name change is part of a broader set of proposed constitutional amendments that the party will submit to the Constitutional Review Committee.
The committee is expected to debate each proposed clause before public hearings are held.
According to Zungula, the overall goal is to reclaim national sovereignty and address what the party sees as structural imbalances embedded in the Constitution.
Zungula argued that the current language has led to legal ambiguities and created a situation where non-citizens can claim rights and access services meant for South Africans.
"There needs to be instances where the Constitution is very clear. When it says ‘everyone', it refers to every person," he said.
"This is regardless of whether they are legal, illegal, or not even citizens of South Africa. But when it says ‘citizen', it should be clear that it refers to bona fide citizens of our country."
Zungula believes that when the Constitution was first drafted, the ruling ANC sought to reassure the global community that South Africa would not mirror the discriminatory practices of the apartheid regime.
However, he feels this effort has come at the cost of prioritising South Africans.
"In doing so, they created a Constitution that prioritised being open and inclusive at the cost of national interest and sovereignty," he said.
Another proposed amendment focuses on shifting the balance of power between the courts and Parliament.
Zungula said the courts currently hold too much authority over lawmaking. "We want Parliament, as the voice of the people, to be the final arbiter of laws—not the courts," he said.
Land reform is also high on the ATM's agenda, with Zungula aiming at Section 25 of the Constitution, which limits land restitution to dispossession after 1913.
He said this timeframe excludes many South Africans whose land was taken before then. The party is also calling for a ban on land ownership by foreign nationals, arguing that their stronger currencies push up land prices and disadvantage locals.
"Foreign nationals must only be allowed to lease land. That is the practice in many other countries," Zungula said.
Another major issue the ATM wants to address is the ownership of natural resources. Zungula said South Africa's mineral wealth enriches foreign companies while local communities remain impoverished.
"We are saying the mineral wealth must be owned by South Africans and managed by the state for the benefit of the country."
Source - businesstech
