Street names opposed

A Dutch political party has demanded action from the Dutch cabinet in support of the retention of Afrikaans street names in Pretoria.

"The Netherlands embassy in Queen Wilhelmina Avenue should refuse to accept a new name," the Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party for Freedom) said in The Hague yesterday. Dutch deputy minister for education and culture Halbe Zijlstra was asked in a parliamentary question if he was aware of the name changes and whether he thought they were a "slap in the face of the Dutch royal family".

The party said the ANC planned to change 27 Pretoria street names, including Queen Wilhelmina Avenue.