The following year, it was renamed Northern Province, which remained the name until 11 July 2003, when the name of the province was formally changed to the name of its most important river on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana after deliberation by the provincial government and amendment of the Constitution.
Ngwaga o o latelang,e ene ya bitswa gape gotwe Northern Province, mme leina la tshwarelelela go fitlhela ka ngwaga wa 2003, fa leina la kgaolo le ile la itsege semmuso fetola ntateng ya noka e e kopanelang kwa molelwaneng wa Zimbabwe and Botswana le morago ga kitsiso ya molao kwa bokopanong jwa khudutlhamaga jwa Constitution.