East London's Transition to KuGompo City Sparks Outrage
- East London will be officially renamed KuGompo City following official approval of 21 name changes
- The Eastern Cape Premier emphasised pride and public participation in the renaming process
- Social media users reacted with mixed opinions on the controversial name change
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Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: UGC
EASTERN CAPE, EAST LONDON - East London will soon be known as KuGompo City, following a decision to rename the city gazetted by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture.
21 Official name changes
The department approved 21 official name changes on Friday, 6 February 2026, confirming earlier reports that the changes were imminent. The Eastern Cape government indicated in 2024 that it intended to pursue the renaming of East London. The department said it held legally required meetings and consultations in Qonce, Mdantsane and several coastal areas during March and April 2025 before submitting the application to national authorities.
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Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane said that the name change is not about wasting money. He said the changes are about restoration and the pride in building a united democracy. The premier stated that the name changes involve public participation and are not only a government decision.
Officials previously rejected the KuGompo name because another town in the province already carried the same name. The department resolved the issue by adding the word City. Graaff-Reinet, the country’s fourth-oldest town, will be renamed Robert Sobukwe. Previous attempts to change the town’s name faced strong community opposition. In 2024, the national Names Council did not recommend the change.
Department rejected the application
At the time, the provincial council said the process was not finalised and explained that the department rejected the application due to a lack of information, which could be addressed in future submissions. Graaff-Reinet was established in 1786 and was named after former Cape Governor Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff and his wife, Reinet.
The new namesake, Robert Sobukwe, was an anti-apartheid activist and a founding member of the Pan-Africanist Congress. The department also approved other town name changes. Adendorp will be renamed Bishop Limba, while Aberdeen will become Xamdeboo.
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South Africans weigh in
Social media users shared their thoughts regarding the name changes.
Sakhokwakhe Derick Shongwe said:
"Who's going to visit a place with such a scary name?"
Susanna Adams said:
"Nothing against a name change. Who was Ku Gompo? What is the meaning and background of history around this name?"
Daniel M Mthabela said:
"It will always be East London, just like Jan Smuts Airport."
Ramo Mona Moroko said:
"I heard the tender to write, "welcome to KuGompo" board has already been awarded for R50 million."
Mlungisi Gebashe said:
"At some point, Gqeberha was hard to pronounce and sounded very funny; now most of us enjoy the Gqeberha name, surely gumboots will be the same."
Nyamza Bzk Jojo said:
"Just imagine if they changed the name after revamping the town, giving services to the people, it would be great."
SA discuss preferred name for East London over kuGompo
Briefly news also reported that another city in South Africa changed its name to one in a local language.
The Eastern Cape is no stranger to cities being renamed, and one more had a name makeover, like Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth, which got an isiXhosa name.
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Source: Briefly News
