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Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela?
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TOPIC: Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela?

Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 14 Feb 2011 11:00 #2401

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.

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  • intrepid
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Keep the Berg clean, keep the Berg free!

Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 14 Feb 2011 19:57 #2402

Wow, I wonder if there is footage of that concert on the escarpment with our dear Madiba? That must have been a powerful experience.
Renaming a 200 million year old peak? I don't know, I'm not qualified to have an opinion about that.

/L
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Re: Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 15 Feb 2011 00:11 #2404

I have nothing in particular against Mandela, not having ever met him, but politicians and passing news generally must stay out of the Drakensberg history and heritage. Otherwise expect the floodgates to open. Here are just a few possibilities:

Madonna and her worshippers: Zuma and all his wives
Mbundini Buttress: Malema’s Butt
Mnweni Cutback : Rajbansi’s Double-Cut-Back
Mlambonja Pass : Mlambomlungu Pass
Devil’s Tooth : Manto Tshabalala's Fang
Cock-ade: Dirk-Prinsloo Heights
Champagne Castle : Kenny Kunene’s Sushi
Judge Pass: Hlope Pass
Gatberg: His Holiness DesmondBerg
Western Triplet: South-South Triplet (formerly Imperialist Triplet)
Ntabamhlope: NthaboMbeki
Spioenkop: Bloody Agent Peak
  • mnt_tiska
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Last Edit: 16 Feb 2011 22:39 by mnt_tiska.
The following user(s) said Thank You: fatshark

Re: Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 15 Feb 2011 07:45 #2405

that started off my day with a good laugh mnt_tiska! Good point, no-one else comes to mind, but I think Mandela will probably live-on well beyond his death. Isn't there some prominent un-named buttress we could name after him...?

zen, I had never heard of that concert before. Haven't found any other references to it.
  • intrepid
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Re: Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 15 Feb 2011 08:38 #2409

I believe the concert was held on the escarpment near Champagne Castle. No online references as the story was told to me by the Master-in-Charge of our hiking club at Pretoria Boys High School, some 10 years ago. This is the first I have heard of it since then.

Off topic I know, but since the Berg community tends to be quite a small world, I'll give it a shot anyway: This master-in-charge was Mr Craig Ford, a springbok scout and originally from Howick. Does anybody know of him (or does he perhaps trawl these forums)? He introduced me to the Berg on a 6-day hike up Organ Pipes, down Gray's and back along the contour path back in Dec 2000.
  • Stijn
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Last Edit: 15 Feb 2011 09:19 by Stijn.

Re: Should Sterkhorn be renamed Mount Mandela? 15 Feb 2011 22:26 #2415

I remember the occasion well, but don't recall anything in the press about it. It was big news for the community in the valley. I remember somebody from one of the resorts near the airforce base recounting the numerous trips to ferry equipment to the top. They also told of one of the loads of a hanging net of chairs coming loose and ending up in one of the remote valleys somewhere.
The only reference I found was in a government website:
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