Sandton Drive intersects with the recently renamed Winnie Mandela Drive. [Picture: Itumeleng English/African News Agency]
Leila Khaled has endorsed the potential rechristening of Sandton Drive, Johannesburg, in her honour. More than 60 000 letters, supporting the move, were submitted by the deadline on Tuesday.
In a letter to Mayor Dada Morero and MMC for Community Development, Kabelo Gwamanda, the Palestinian activist said she felt a “deep responsibility to accept this honour” because it was “on behalf of, and for, my people”.
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you and all of those who have made the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive a possibility. I am profoundly honoured by this gesture as it holds immense significance for the people of Palestine and all those who stand for freedom and justice,” she wrote.
Thuthukile Zuma, a member of African National Congress’s (ANC) Johannesburg regional executive committee, read the letter on the sidelines of an event at the Johannesburg Arts, Culture and Heritage Offices.
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‘Sandton Drive’ soon ‘Leila Khaled Drive’?
The City of Johannesburg adopted a motion for the renaming of Sandton Drive in 2018, paving the way for the route to bear Khaled’s name. Changing the name, however, can only be done once residents have their say.
Those in favour of its rechristening say the move will strengthen solidarity with the Palestinians; critics argue it will come at a great cost. At the cost of service delivery, they say.
“South Africa stands in solidarity with Palestine,” said Alie Komape, communications and campaigns manager at Africa4Palestine (A4P). “Heritage and historical sites, especially names of sites and streets and monuments are important in the history of a society. We share a common history [of struggle] with Palestinians.”
Slamming the proposal as a “blatant act of political grandstanding”, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Leah Potgieter said: “While these essential services remain unaddressed, the ANC run government has chosen to focus on symbolic gestures that do little to improve the day-to-day lives of the people they are meant to serve”.
MMC Gwamanda received reams of petitions from A4P and other organisations on Tuesday. Approximately 60 000 letters supporting the move were received, compared to the 5500 objections the DA collected.
Welcoming different views on the matter, he said: “We hope this will demonstrate that the City has followed due processes to the letter. Organisations that feel strongly about this initiative have gone above and beyond to demonstrate that they are in support of the council decision.”
[WATCH] Leila Khaled endorses the remaining of Sandton Drive, Johannesburg, in her name.
— Salaamedia (@salaamedia) October 15, 2024
In a letter, read by Thuthukile Zuma, @MYANC regional executive committee member, the Palestinian activist said she was “profoundly honoured by this gesture”.
Civil society organisations,… pic.twitter.com/dWk2JhFGVK
[WATCH] Receiving reams of petitions from civil society organisations, including @Africa4Pal, on Tuesday, Johannesburg MMC for community development @KabeloGwamanda welcomed public input on the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive in honour of Leila Khaled.
— Salaamedia (@salaamedia) October 15, 2024
“We welcome those that… pic.twitter.com/3GpLcfVBbN