The term ‘Mother City’ reinforces a dangerous historical myth

By Stephen Grootes – 9 Mar 2025

Words have power. Referring to Cape Town as the ‘Mother City’ perpetuates racist lies about the history of our country. It’s time to stop.

It is impossible to count the number of times one can hear the phrase “Mother City” in English-language news and television programmes in a single day. It is used in the same way that “Joburg” or “Jozi” refer to the city of Johannesburg…

READ MORE