Die Vryheidsfront Plus verwelkom president Zuma se reaksie in sy parlementêre repliek op die VF Plus se besware oor die verandering van Pretoria en ander geografiese plekname.
Mnr. Zuma het in sy repliek verwys na die gesprek wat hy met dr. Pieter Mulder as VF Plus leier op 3 Februarie vanjaar oor die aangeleentheid gehad het en het herhaal dat ‘n oplossing vir naamsverandering en vir Pretoria se naam gesoek moet word wat alle partye tevrede sal stel.
Die Vrydag na die gesprek met die President (5 Februarie 2010) is die proklamasie in die staatskoerant, wat Pretoria se naamsverandering aangekondig het, amptelik teruggetrek.
Dr. Mulder het in reaksie gesê dat die Vryheidsfront Plus voorstelle aan die President gemaak het oor hoe sensitiewe sake soos hierdie hanteer moet word. Die VF Plus sal weer in die toekoms aan gesprekke oor naamsverandering deelneem.
President Zuma se verwysing na Pretoria en naamsverandering volg hieronder:
Honourable members,
In appreciating our history, we will also need to return to the difficult question of what names we should use to describe the towns, cities, streets and geographical features of our country.
The Honourable Deputy Minister and leader of the Freedom Front Plus, Dr Pieter Mulder, raised the issue of geographic name changes and specifically the name of Pretoria in his speech in this House.
I appreciate his constructive contribution to this problem.
On Wednesday 3 February, the honourable member and I had a constructive discussion in Pretoria about this problem and dealt with the issue.
I agree with him that further talks with all the parties involved will have to take place and that a solution and working method which will be acceptable to all parties will have to be found.
We must also point out that we had earlier decided, as government, not to rush with the renaming of Pretoria as it is the capital city of our country.
We need to move along together on this path to ensure that we all appreciate the significance of the process.