A new name for the new South Africa -- Mandelaland!
Dear Editor, NEW YORK TIMES, and all South African newspapers:
With South Africa in the global spotlight now due to the World Cup
games this month, it occurred to me that it might be time to give
South Africa a new national name.
South Africa is a fine name, of course. It was coined in 1910 when the
Union of South Africa was formed.
But the name sounds like a geography lesson in high school: North
America, South Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, East Asia.
So what about changing the name of South Africa in the future to
something like Mandela or Mandelaland, to honor Nelson Mandela?
I rather like Mandelaland. Think: Finland, Greenland, Iceland,
Maryland, Holland, Thailand, Newfoundland, Swtizerland. Mandelaland
would honor Nelson Mandela for his life's work as a healer
of his nation.
Sincerely,
Danny Bloom
With South Africa in the global spotlight now due to the World Cup
games this month, it occurred to me that it might be time to give
South Africa a new national name.
South Africa is a fine name, of course. It was coined in 1910 when the
Union of South Africa was formed.
But the name sounds like a geography lesson in high school: North
America, South Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, East Asia.
So what about changing the name of South Africa in the future to
something like Mandela or Mandelaland, to honor Nelson Mandela?
I rather like Mandelaland. Think: Finland, Greenland, Iceland,
Maryland, Holland, Thailand, Newfoundland, Swtizerland. Mandelaland
would honor Nelson Mandela for his life's work as a healer
of his nation.
Sincerely,
Danny Bloom
posted by dan at 10:32 PM
2 Comments:
I think Mandela is amazing, though, and worthy of having the country renamed in his honour....
lawyer in USA
Not that I want him to die, but I am somewhat leery of naming anything after living people - smacks too much of the old 'cult of personality'.
And as wonderful as he is, Mandela represents only one of South Africa's many ethnic groups, so it might create as many problems as it solves.
I think the old Bantustan idea South Africa tried was ... See Moreclearly racist, however it did represent a certain inescapable logic that, properly rethought, might work towards a new name for the country. Divided into semi autonomous ethnic/language entities, which would then be united in a union or federated federal state, known as....???
Anyone's guess I suppose, and possibly Mandelaland, but one devised by the citizens of that country.
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