The Student Representative Council at the University of the Witwatersrand has called on the City of Johannesburg to rename De Beer Street in Braamfontein to Mthokozisi Ntumba Street in honour of the man who was shot dead by police rubber bullets during the student protests of 2021.

Four years after the launch of the SRC's renaming petition, the city has subsequently adopted the programme and has opened public consultations.

Ntumba was caught in the crossfire between students and police. He had been to a medical facility in the Braamfontein area when he was struck by rubber bullets and succumbed to his injuries on the scene.

A murder case was opened against the four police officers who are alleged to have shot and killed Ntumba, however, the Johannesburg High Court in 2022 dismissed the case citing that the state did not submit sufficient information for the charges against the officers.

Public comment

The City of Johannesburg spokesperson, Virgil James, said in accordance with their street naming and renaming policy, Joburg residents and stakeholders have 28 days to comment and make suggestions.

The public consultations commenced on Monday and will go on until March 31.

Residents have welcomed the proposed name change.

Speaking to IOL from the streets of Braamfontein this week, Lerato Maphumulo, a student at Wits, said it was a welcome initiative.

“It is a good gesture that the local government is at least honouring Ntumba, who died for something he was not part of.”

Another resident, Lutendo Muchaveni said the family should also be compensated.

”The renaming of the street in his honour should come with some accountability and compensation, accountability in the police biting dust and compensation in the sense of the man’s family getting money to support their livelihood, because he was a breadwinner.”

Nontsikelelo Truter, a student at Rosebank College in Braamfontein, said: “it will not be proper for him to get a street named after him only for the city to abandon the street in terms of infrastructure maintenance, cleaning, and all.

"The city will have to ensure that there is continuous maintenance and service delivery; otherwise, it will be a spit in the face.”

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