Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie said the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive has not been brought to the attention of his department and the South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC).
“Names of municipally owned streets do not fall within the jurisdiction of the South African Geographical Names Council Act and therefore do not fall within the mandate of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture,” McKenzie’s office said in a written reply to a parliamentary question.
DA MP Leah Ruth Potgieter asked whether McKenzie or his department has engaged in any consultations with the City of Johannesburg and other relevant stakeholders on the process of renaming Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
Potgieter also enquired about the framework when engaging with municipalities on street name changes to ensure the historical, cultural and political sensitivities of all affected communities are considered and his position on the renaming of prominent streets after internationally known political figures such as Khaled.
She also asked about mechanisms that were in place to manage public sentiment and potential controversies surrounding name changes and the cost implications of renaming Sandton Drive and justification amid pressing service delivery challenges faced by the City of Johannesburg.
According to reports, the motion to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive was adopted in November 2018, but it was hailed as strengthening a twinning agreement and memorandum of co-operation the City of Johannesburg has with the Palestinian city of Ramallah.
In his written reply, McKenzie said municipalities are expected to follow public consultation processes when naming streets.
“There is currently no legislation that precludes the naming of places/ streets after internationally known political figures.” He also said he took decisions based on names submitted for his consideration at a national level. The Minister is guided by the SAGNC Act in taking his decision on the naming and renaming of geographical features.”
McKenzie stated that his department and the SAGNC have taken it upon themselves to drive capacity building and awareness workshops in the provinces.
“Capacity building focuses on educating municipalities and Provincial Geographical Names Committees (PGNCs) on the need to ensure public participation, which revolves around the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), the SAGNC Act and other policies and principles of the SAGNC when standardising geographical names.
“It also educates the public on the process to be followed when applying for the standardisation of geographical names, which is regulated through the Handbook on geographical names and the SAGNC Act.”
He stated that his department, working together with the SAGNC, will continue conducting workshops to highlight the urgent need to transform South Africa’s naming landscape.
On cost implications of renaming Sandton Drive and justification, McKenzie said normally the cost implications include the costs of public consultations, specifically in relation to publishing advertisements in community newspapers and radio stations as well as for honoraria payments for the PGNC and SAGNC members when processing names under the SAGNC’s jurisdiction.
“The name Sandton Drive has not been brought to the attention of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, but it is worthwhile to mention that the cost carried by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, as related to name changes nationally, is budgeted for as an allocation towards the transformation of South Africa’s naming landscape in order to reflect the history and languages of all the people of South Africa.
“The standardisation of geographical names forms part of the broader government transformation programme towards addressing the imbalances of the past and it forms part of the symbolic restitution as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”
Khaled, 80, is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and was part of a group that hijacked a TWA flight on a journey from Rome to Tel Aviv in 1969.
Cape Times