The City of Cape Town’s Naming and Nomination Committee has recommended to the Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille, that the City undertakes a public participation process around the proposal to create a heroes’ wall at the Green Point Athletics Stadium in honour of athletes who have achieved Olympic hero status. Read more below:
The Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, last year proposed that the Green Point Athletics Stadium be renamed after Wayde van Niekerk in honour of him winning an Olympic gold medal and setting a new 400 m world record at the Olympic Games in Rio in August 2016.
The proposal was recently discussed by the Premier, Mayor De Lille, and the Chairperson of the City’s Naming and Nomination Committee, Councillor Brett Herron. It was agreed that the City would not proceed with the proposed renaming, but rather ask the public for comment about a proposal to erect a heroes’ wall at the Green Point Athletics Stadium to honour all of those athletes who have achieved Olympic hero status.
‘This proposal is more inclusive and complies with the City’s Naming Policy. Should the City in the end decide to go ahead with the heroes’ wall, it would give us the opportunity to honour and celebrate all of our great athletes – those who have made us proud at the Olympic Games in the past, and those still to come. The wall can be utilised to celebrate not only athletes who participate in track items, but in any Olympic sporting code,’ said Councillor Herron.
The City has consulted with the management of the Green Point Athletics Stadium who have proposed that the current gabion wall at the rear of the stadium be used for this purpose. The wall is about 160 m long.
‘It is still early days. Should the Executive Mayor agree with the proposal, we will also consult with our residents and ask them for their views during a public participation process. Nothing will happen until such time as the public participation process has been concluded and the proposal has been considered and approved by full Council,’ said Councillor Herron.