The historic Eastern Cape town of Lady Grey could soon be renamed Inkosi Makhobeni as provincial authorities continue a wider geographical name-change programme.

The Eastern Cape Provincial Geographical Names Committee has confirmed it is proceeding with several proposed changes.

Sterkspruit is proposed to become Inkosi Mpangazi, while Herschel could be renamed Inkosi Lihlongo.

The proposed names honour historic traditional leaders and form part of efforts to replace colonial-era names with ones reflecting local history and communities.

Town dates back to the 1850s

Lady Grey’s history stretches back nearly 170 years.

The settlement developed after the Dutch Reformed Church bought a farm in 1857 to establish a congregation. The town was founded the following year.

It was named after Eliza Lucy Grey, wife of Sir George Grey, who served as governor of the Cape Colony.

Lady Grey later became a municipality in 1893.

Today, the town is known for its mountain scenery, fishing and nearby nature reserves. It is also home to the Lady Grey Arts Academy.

Herschel and Sterkspruit also targeted

Herschel is another historic settlement included in the proposed changes.

The town was founded in 1879 and named after astronomer Sir John Herschel, who spent time working in the Cape Colony.

The Eastern Cape has already undergone several major geographical name changes in recent years.

In February 2026, national government officially gazetted a further group of approved Eastern Cape name changes after recommendations from the South African Geographical Names Council.

FF Plus opposes proposed changes

The Freedom Front Plus has criticised the latest proposals.

The party argues that unnecessary name changes waste public money, divide communities and erase existing historical identities.

It has also questioned the timing of the latest process ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The provincial committee, however, maintains that geographical naming forms part of transforming the Eastern Cape’s cultural and historical landscape.

The proposed Lady Grey, Sterkspruit and Herschel changes still need to complete the formal approval process before becoming official.