Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ African Transformation Movement (ATM) will be approaching Parliament and the Constitutional Review Committee with proposals for revolutionary constitutional change and a bold call to rename the country from the Republic of South Africa to the Republic of Azania.
ATM leader Vuyo Zungula argues that the name “South Africa” is a colonial legacy forced on people under British and Boer rule, and it is culturally irrelevant. “Before 1652, we were not South Africans. The Union of South Africa was an institution to further the oppression of the native people,” Zungula said. “Renaming is about reclaiming our identity.”
He cited such examples as Namibia (once South West Africa) to support his call for decolonising place names. His critics say the name “Azania” is not popularly accepted and lacks historical significance. Political commentator Kenneth Mokgatlhe described the proposal as “symbolic radicalism” which has little popular appeal. “Azania is largely a name among Black intellectuals and activists,” he said, adding that many countries use geographic names such as North Macedonia or South Korea without difficulty.
However, in the case of ATM, it is merely one aspect of a larger effort to “restore sovereignty and correct structural imbalances” in the Constitution. One of the reforms it proposes is replacing “everyone” with “citizens” in some of the provisions of the Constitution, something Zungula believes will protect public services from being overused by foreigners.
“There needs to be clarity. ‘Everyone’ means illegal foreigners. That’s unsustainable,” he said.
The ATM also wants Parliament rather than the courts to make the final call on legislation, arguing that court interventions cheapen the democratic process. “Judges are not elected by the people. Parliament must be the voice of the people,” Zungula insisted.
Land reform is still at the core of the party’s agenda. ATM suggests changing Section 25 of the Constitution to acknowledge land dispossession prior to 1913 and to prohibit foreign ownership of land outright. Foreigners, Zungula believes, should be permitted only to lease, not purchase, land.
Lastly, ATM desires South Africa’s mineral resources to be nationalized and controlled by the state so that prosperity goes to local communities rather than foreign corporations.
Whether they will catch on remains to be seen, but they are bound to generate heated debate about the future identity and direction of post-apartheid South Africa.
