Led by the African Transformation Movement (ATM), the call to rename South Africa to Azania continues to grow louder and louder. However, it has not come without controversy and pushback as some reject the change.
As part of a broader effort to amend South Africa’s constitution in a way that addresses colonial legacies, ATM and other aligned political parties have proposed a change to the country’s name.
They argue that among the many issues which the country faces is the necessity to move away from a name that fails to accurately represent its people – one that serves as a reminder of the unfortunate and violent atrocities committed against the country’s natives historically.
“All formerly colonised nations, like South West Africa, have changed their name. We now know it to be Namibia,” explained ATM’s Vuyo Zungula.
“The country is the name given to them by colonisers. It is an identity. It is your heritage. You can’t expect South Africans to hold on to an identity that was imposed on them,” he added.
Zungula is leading the charge to table a proposal to Parliament and the Constitutional Review Committee for South Africa to be renamed ‘The Republic of Azania.’
The conversation around renaming South Africa to Azania is no new phenomenon. It dates back to the days of the struggle for liberation. Similar to the past, those calling for this renaming have gained significant support. However, they have also garnered some criticism and backlash from others who do not believe that renaming the country, particularly to Azania, is necessary.
Critics of the name change, including political analyst Kenneth Mokgatlhe, make a few arguments to support their stance against the official renaming.
According to these individuals, the name Azania has no cultural, linguistic or historical ties to the country, and is rather a word that is associated with radical Pan-Africanist thinkers.
Azania is an Arabic name, I would rather have a non-name like South Africa than relegate our country to a Middle Eastern name. pic.twitter.com/sv1zFRwhI6
— 🎙Tebogo Koma🎙 (@TheGeopol) July 3, 2025
Azania is a colonial name like South Africa. We can’t replace a colonial name with another old colonial name. I agree with a principle of doing away with all the colonial symbols.
— Andile Lungisa (@mrlungisa) July 3, 2025
Also see: Xenophobia or patriotism? Healthcare professionals reject foreigners seeking free healthcare
