The Democratic Alliance in Dawid Kruiper today handed over a petition supported by 3 397 concerned residents, to the Municipal Manager, Elias Ntoba formally objecting to the proposed renaming of Schröder Street.
The petitions were accompanied by a memorandum, demanding that the renaming process of Schröder Street be immediately suspended; the petition be tabled and officially recorded; and that future processes involving street name changes follow transparent, inclusive, and community-driven procedures.
This comes after the name change was recently steamrollered through council without proper consultation, budgeting or planning.
Our objections are based on the following:
• Flawed Public Participation:
The public hearings were poorly managed, inadequately advertised, and did not offer community members a fair opportunity to air their concerns. The outcome therefore does not reflect the views of the majority of residents directly affected by the name change.
• Poor Service Delivery and Financial Constraints:
Communities are facing daily challenges due to poor service delivery, from roads and waste management to water and housing backlogs. The municipality lacks the financial capacity to adequately address service delivery challenges, let alone fund a name change, which involves not only signage replacement but administrative and logistical costs.
• Misplaced Priorities:
Renaming a street, in the absence of proper consultation, while basic needs are unmet, translates into a misuse of public funds. Communities rightly expect the municipality to prioritise delivery fundamentals, over political or symbolic actions.
The DA has requested urgent feedback from the municipality on its next steps in relation to the name change. Should the municipality not attend to the community’s demands, we will explore further avenues through which to oppose it.