Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? |
| Drakensberg - Peaks | ||||
| Monday, 14 February 2011 11:00 | ||||
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A call has been made to rename Sterkhorn, in the Monk's Cowl area, Central Drakensberg, to "Mount Mandela" in honour of Nelson Mandela. This proposal was put forward in a recent speech by John Tungay, founder of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. In the clipping from a local paper reporting the above, forwarded to me over the weekend, some interesting details were provided on the 75th Anniversary of the South African Air Force: "Mr. Tungay recalled how in 1995, to mark the 75th Anniversary of the South African Air Force, President Mandela was airlifted by helicopter past Sterkhorn to one of the highest level points in the mountains where a concert was given in his honour, attended by 300 dignitaries including the then Minister of Defence, Ronnie Casrils. Powerful SAAF helicopters air-lifted a concert platform, a piano, a portable kitchen and toilets to the mountain site. Tuning of the piano at such a great altitude was referred to the Guinness Book of Records. Three choirs were involved in the 75th Anniversary exercise: The Drakensberg Boys Choir, the SAAF "Canaries" and the President's own choir "Cantu Malongi" conducted by George Mxadana. Bunny Ashley-Botha, former Director of Music at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School for 27 years, said that the idea for this concert emanated from a complaint he made to the head of the Air Force that helicopters operating from their mountain base at adjacent Dragons Peak Park were making such a thundering noise over the choir school that it disturbed the training of the choirs. He was informed that "something would be done" to apologise for the noise of the helicopter operations." It is not mentioned where this "highest point" was. Maybe on the escarpment near Champagne Castle? What does the community think of the proposal for Sterkhorn to be renamed "Mount Mandela"? To name something in our Drakensberg in honour of Nelson Mandela, arguably the most renowned leader in the world, is not a bad idea in itself. So far I am only aware of an easy ice-climbing route called "Madiba's Choice" near the Lotheni Couilor. In British Columbia, Canada, a peak has already been named Mount Mandela in his honour. But should it be Sterkhorn? Certainly a very grand, iconic peak - and incidentally the first technical peak ever climbed in the Berg! To be honest, it took me a while to get used to the name "Sterkhorn", but now it is an established name, and how easy will it be for us to change our association of the name with this majestic free-stander, with its fascinating spires and triple-summit? Regardless of the outcome, it is hoped that any renaming process would be done with the participation of the people who hike and climb under the shadow of this lovely mountain.
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 February 2011 14:31 ) | ||||
Cencom has confirmed that the MCSA does not support the renaming of peaks in general and is wary in particular of attaching the names of any persons to such peaks.
I would far rather be reading Bushman names for peaks etc. than any others.
Nothing natural should be named after people - not mountains, not comets, not craters on the moon. Man made things, ok. (Streets, buildings, airports.) If you MAKE it, you can call it what you will. If you didn't make it, it's NOT yours. But no one's asking me.
In the Drakensberg, I have always been ashamed that the Bushman names have been erased, and I assume forgotten. Sani Pass is named for them, but I'm sure they didn't call it that. Whatever the political noise, the native peoples of Southern Africa, from Botswana to the Cape, and from Mozambique to Namibia, are the Bushmen tribes, Khoi-San in the literature, both Whites and Nguni are invaders. I believe Khoi refers to herders, and San to hunter-gatherers. The distinguishing feature of their languages was and is of course, the many different clicks, some of which the Zulu and Xhosa adopted.
From my childhood, some of the Zulu names I learned I now suspect are Bushman. Shongalolo, chocho, nunu are three that come to mind. I suspect this because the names are the same in a number of Nguni languages, and not derived from any more Northern African language.
Does anyone know if an account of the Bushman Drakensberg names exists?
I could not even find an online account of the final genocide of the Drakensberg Bushmen, which I was taught happened after the last Anglo-Zulu War (1879) - the British Carbineers massacred them all on orders.
I now live on (former) Ute land at the interface of the Rocky Mountains (Colorado) and the Great American Desert (Utah). The Utes were defeated in 1892 by the US Army that, after the Civil War ended, was turned on the natives. The Utes left plenty of petroglyphs, usually at their winter camps.
This must be the most EPIC quote I have read this year, you have a way with words..
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