Luxembourge's second-largest city, Esch-sur-Alzette, will today rename a road called Boers Street after Nelson Mandela following months of political opposition.
The city, near the Belgian border, was initially forced to shelve the plan to rename Rue des Boers, after "negative reactions due in part to extreme right-wing circles".
The street was named in 1923 in tribute to Boer soldiers who fought the English in the Anglo-Boer War.
The National Museum of Resistance, which is hosting the From Prisoner to President exhibition, approached the city after Mandela's death in December asking that the street closest to themuseum be renamed after the icon. The museum's Frank Schroeder said the proposal had received "some political resistance" .
Esch-sur-Alzette mayor Vera Spautz said the renaming would take place today at the exhibition's opening. Spautz claimed the renaming controversy had nothing to do with the Mandela name.
"The museum is situated at Resistance Square. Our idea was to rename a street touching the square, physically and symbolically," she said, adding that the city had the support of Christopher Till, director of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
