‘New dawn’ as NMU residences renamed

The naming and rebranding of several Nelson Mandela University residences signalled the end of apartheid leader Hendrik Verwoerd’s rule.

These were the words of Pedro Mzileni at the university’s “naming and renaming” event on Monday.

“This event symbolises the end of the Verwoerd legacy – we are putting UPE [University of Port Elizabeth] six feet under. These [new] names ... are the symbol[s] of a new dawn, a new beginning.

“They are the [figurative] fruits and vegetables of the #FeesMustFall uprising.”

NMU vice-chancellor Sibongile Muthwa said naming and renaming ushered in a new dawn for the institution.

“This project is very important to us because we, too, were the ones given Nelson Mandela’s name in June 2017,” Muthwa said.

“It’s then when we undertook to live [the] name, we will live to honour the name and all Madiba stood for.”

Muthwa said both students and the surrounding communities played a role in selecting the chosen names.

“The university is a very diverse community.

“So you would find that students, in renaming the residences, have been very involved in finding the names – but it’s not just about the historical [names],” she said.

“The process has been very consultative, [but] this is only the start, and we will see different names that speak to different parts of the university.”

The names unveiled on Monday were:

• Claude Qavane residence – formerly Xanadu;
• Sarah Baartman residence – formerly Melodi;
• Solomon Mahlangu residence – formerly Unitas;
• Lillian Ngoyi residence – formerly Veritas;
• Hector Pieterson residence – formerly Letaba;
• Sol Plaatje residence – formerly Protea;
• Yolanda Guma residence – formerly Oceana; and
• Charlotte Maxeke residence – formerly Lebombo.

“The renamed residences honour South African men and women who have made an indelible contribution to the country’s efforts towards social justice, which is what underpins the work of Nelson Mandela University,” the university said in a statement earlier.

“Among those honoured are two former Nelson Mandela University students, Yolanda Guma and Claude Qavane, who both contributed to shaping the university during their short lives.

“Sarah Baartman, Lillian Ngoyi, Charlotte Maxeke, Solomon Mahlangu, Sol Plaatje and Hector Pieterson are also being recognised, with some of their family members and trustees – who have given their permission and blessing for the use of the names – to be present at the launch event.”