Graaff-Reinet renaming still stands, minister says, as a fake message spreads

PANM — South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has rejected a message circulating on WhatsApp and social media that claimed he had reversed the renaming of Graaff-Reinet to Robert Sobukwe Town and other Eastern Cape place names, and that a court case had been "won".

The facts, according to the ministry

• The minister has not withdrawn, rescinded or amended any of the name changes published in the Government Gazette on 6 February 2026, and no new decision has been taken.
• No court has ruled. AfriForum's application for review in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria has not been finalised.
• The ministry cannot verify statements attributed in the message to an MP and says it has sent no one any notice of a withdrawal.

Because the matter is before the court, the ministry will not comment on its merits and says it will abide by the outcome.

"I have not withdrawn anything. There is no new decision, no court judgment and no victory for anyone to celebrate," McKenzie said. "What I will not do is allow people to be misled by fake messages dressed up as news."

The ministry asks the public, media and public representatives to check with the department before sharing such claims. Official statements are published at www.dsac.gov.za and on its official social media accounts.

Source: Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture, 12 October 2026.