Major South African city’s name changed to the ‘gom-gom’ sound of waves breaking against a rock

East London’s name has been changed to KuGompo City, which is linked to the sound the waves make as they break against a rock formation near the metro.

East London’s history dates back to 1836, when British officer John Bailie surveyed the mouth of the Buffalo River and established a landing stage.

It was originally named Port Rex. However, in 1847, it was officially named East London and annexed to the Cape Colony.

During the Cape Frontier Wars, also known as the Xhosa Wars, the port became a critical supply base for British headquarters in nearby King William’s Town.

After the Crimean War, German mercenaries who had fought for Britain were settled in the region. Many were bachelors who later married Irish women.

A second wave of German civilians arrived as farmers and established areas such as Berlin, Potsdam, Frankfurt, and Stutterheim.

In 1873, three separate settlements, East London West Bank, East London East Bank, and Panmure, merged to form a single municipality.

The arrival of the railway in 1876, connected the port to the interior, transformed East London into a vital export hub for wool, maize, and fruit.

East London was officially granted city status in 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I.

Today, East London is one of South Africa’s major cities. Its economy is heavily anchored by the Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) plant.

Over the last year, concerns have been raised that Mercedes-Benz may scale back operations due to port inefficiencies and global macroeconomic shifts.

This would significantly impact East London, because thousands of families depend on the plant for their livelihood.

The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) has been aggressive in attracting new investments.

Recently, they secured a R920-million energy project and are focusing on sectors like ICT, green energy, and agro-processing.

East London’s name changed to KuGompo City

Long before East London became a city, the area was inhabited by the amaXhosa. They lived in what is now known as the Eastern Cape for centuries.

They referred to the area as Gompo. It is a word that imitates the “gom-gom” sound of the waves crashing against the hollows and caverns of Gompo Rock.

Gompo Rock is located about 11 km southwest of the Buffalo River mouth, which was where East London was established.

Dr JJ Klaas, a historian and author with deep knowledge of the region, shed light on the name change from East London to KuGompo City during a 702 interview.

He explained that there are several historical and cultural justifications for the name change, which will cost millions.

One of the regularly asked questions is why the name was not changed to Imonti, or eMonti, the Xhosa name for East London.

He explained that KuGompo is the original name used by the amaXhosa people long before colonial arrival.

Klaas said Imonti, in comparison, is a bastardization of the Afrikaans word mond, which refers to the river mouth.

He added that Imonti lacks meaningful historical context compared to KuGompo because it was not originally coined by the amaXhosa.

In comparison, KuGompo has a unique spiritual presence as amaXhosa leaders historically visited the area as part of spiritual journeys.

He further dismisses the argument that the name change is a waste of money and that the resources could have been better spent elsewhere.

He argued that views demonstrate a lack of understanding regarding the history of conquest and the depth of what the name change represents.