JUST IN: Re-naming of streets above board

Blessings Chidakwa

Municipal Correspondent

Cabinet’s decision to re-name some roads in urban local authorities, places and Government buildings after national heroes and regional nationalists and beyond is in accordance with the country’s laws, The Herald has established.

The Urban Councils Act states that if local authorities want to name or re-name streets after luminaries, they are obliged to first make recommendations to the Cabinet Committee on Place Name.

On Thursday Cabinet approved new names for roads, places and Government buildings in Harare, Bulawayo and other towns across the country, as a deliberate effort to foster unity, while reflecting on the country’s history and identity.

Notable among the changes is the renaming of Enterprise Road in Harare to Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Road.

Sixth Avenue in Bulawayo, A5 Road in Kwekwe, Main Street in Gweru, Chipinge Main Street, Etherton Road in Bindura, Edgar Peacock Road in Mutare, Henry Hartley Road in Chegutu and Hughes Street in Masvingo were also renamed Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

The name changes are mainly aimed at honouring the country’s national heroes, regional icons and beyond.

Harare City Council said council resolutions passed in 2015 under the Environmental Management Committee titled “Procedure for naming and renaming streets, institutions and places using national names and heroes”, stated that Cabinet has the mandate to make the name changes.

The resolutions read: “The procedure was governed by circular number 4 of 2012. Such changes of names were processed through a designated Cabinet Committee on change of names.

“The committee comprised Ministries of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Defence, Home Affairs, Higher and Tertiary Education, Sports Arts and Culture, Media, Information and Publicity, Justice and Legal Affairs, Environment, Climate and Water, Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment,” he said.

Through the resolutions, local authorities were directed to channel their recommendations through the Provincial Development Coordinators, to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works for consideration by the Cabinet Committee before approval by council.

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