BREAKING | It is official, Port Elizabeth has a new name — Gqeberha

Those flying into the Friendly City will soon be welcomed to Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport — in Gqeberha.

The decision to rename Port Elizabeth and the airport was officially approved and gazetted by Sports, arts and Culture minister Nathi Mthethwa on Tuesday.

Other major name changes will see the town of Uitenhage changed to Kariega, while the Port Elizabeth Airport will now be known as Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.

LISTEN | Gqeberha: how to pronounce it and how it came about

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The name change matter had been dragging on for about two years, with residents submitting hundreds of objections to what was then proposals.

When the recommendation by the Eastern Cape Geographical Names committee that Port Elizabeth be renamed Gqeberha was first mooted, it caused an uproar among residents.

A petition titled “Keep the name Port Elizabeth” was circulated on social media and garnered about 26,000 signatures.

However, the petition — despite the thousands of signatures — was counted as a single objection.

HeraldLIVE

HeraldLIVE