You know that area just below Gardens Centre? It isn’t really Gardens, or Oranjezicht, and it sure as hell isn’t Downtown.

Name Your Hood, a private sector-led initiative which seeks to build stronger communities through interactive public neighbourhood naming campaigns. A few weeks ago they officially launched their latest campaign, the naming of Hood 8, AKA ‘That Area Just Below Gardens Centre’ in Cape Town. We’re glad to report that Hood 8 finally has a name: La Guma.

For the past 3 months the local residents and businesses have been involved in a dynamic campaign to ‘Name this Hood’. The public was invited to explore the rich history of the area and then to suggest an appropriate name.

A shortlist was compiled from the hundreds of names suggested, and the public were able to vote on the shortlisted names. The name which received the most votes was ‘La Guma’, as submitted by Lars Liedberg.

Born in District 6, Alex La Guma was a revolutionary South African writer of the 20th Century. Through capturing the essence of the politics at the time, he helped to characterise the movement against the aparthied era in South Africa. He was a defendent in the Treason Trial in 1956, charged with treason after being scrutinized by the South African Police for his protest speeches while chairman in the SACPO (South African Coloured People’s Congress).

After being forced into exile, he remained in Cuba until his death in 1985. Read more on Alex La Guma here and here and find out why this name is perfect for this area.

La Guma is bordered by Roeland, Hatfield and Mill streets. Check out the map:

CLICK HERE to check out other hood names.