Street renaming proposal ‘aimed at humiliating US’

The Joburg metro’s transport MMC has criticised a proposal by the Johannesburg city council to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive, saying the move was ill-advised and an attempt to humiliate the US as Khaled belonged to a Palestinian organisation designated as a terror group by the US. 

The US consulate in Johannesburg is situated on Sandton Drive. Kenny Kunene, PA deputy president and transport MMC in the Joburg metro, said the proposal was an attempt to “humiliate the US by making their diplomats and officials carry business cards with Leila Khaled’s name on them. The American consulate’s website will bear Leila Khaled’s name”. 

“The US is our second-largest export partner, and the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which allows for duty-free access to the US market for many South African exports, is up for renewal. There are many in the US Congress who would like to see SA excluded from it next year, and this foolish act will only provide them with fodder against us,” Kunene said. 

The naming and renaming of streets and public spaces is a function of the Joburg council, with the motion to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive adopted in November 2018. The decision was hailed as strengthening a twinning agreement and memorandum of co-operation Joburg has with the Palestinian city of Ramallah. 

“This move was seen as an expression of the city’s commitment to diplomatic relations with the people of Palestine, building on the strong ties established through the donation of a statue of Nelson Mandela to the city of Ramallah in 2016,” the council said in a statement. 

The SA Zionist Federation (SAZF), the umbrella body of all Zionist and Pro-Israel organisations in the country, described the proposal to rename Sandton Drive as “deeply divisive and directly contravenes the city’s own street renaming policy”. 

“Leila Khaled gained notoriety as the first woman to attempt an aircraft hijacking in 1969. Another failed plane hijacking by Khaled involved her accomplice throwing a grenade at passengers, and shooting a crew member, though the grenade failed to detonate. To venerate violence and honour such an individual is an affront to peace-loving South Africans, including the Jewish community in Johannesburg,” the SAZF said. 

It noted that Khaled was a long-standing member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), “an organisation designated a terror group by the US, Japan, Canada, and EU”. 

“The PFLP was jointly responsible for the 1972 Lod airport massacre, in which terrorists opened fire on passengers arriving in Tel Aviv, killing 26 people and injuring 80. The proposal blatantly disregards Johannesburg’s 2017 policy on naming streets and public places, which emphasises names with local significance, fostering unity and building a cohesive community.” 

SAZF spokesperson Rolene Marks said renaming Sandton Drive after a “failed terrorist with ties to a globally recognised terrorist organisation not only sows division among residents but also contradicts the city’s renaming policy. It potentially burdens businesses with address changes and undermines confidence in the city”. 

“This change appears deliberately provocative towards the US consulate located on Sandton Drive, potentially discouraging American investment in Johannesburg. It’s particularly concerning given that the US government has officially designated the PFLP as a terrorist organisation.” 

The SAZF urged residents to oppose the proposal and for the city to reconsider it in favour of a name that “truly reflects the spirit of unity and progress that defines SA — as is required by its own policy”. 

SA, home to the largest Jewish community in Sub-Saharan Africa, has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice for violating international law and UN resolutions with impunity over its ongoing war with Hamas.

The proposal to rename Sandton Drive is open for public comment until October 18. 

There were other proposals to rename De Beer Street to Mthokozisi Ntumba Street, Main Street to Don Mattera Street, Westbury Recreation Centre to Don Mattera Recreation Centre, Mabaleng Sports Ground to Donnie Gilmour Sports Grounds and Nikkel Crescent to Nathaniel Julies Crescent. 

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za