Renaming Sandton Drive: Who bears the cost?

If the renaming of Sandton Drive goes ahead, who will pay? Where will the money come from?

Community development, the City of Joburg department responsible for road renaming, says, “funds are available under line item 271815 228 1550”.

I have been unable to interrogate this item. How much is allocated to what expenses? Community development is being opaque about costs. We know R750 000 may be used to advertise in newspapers and hire a public meeting venue.

A city which cannot afford to repair potholes, ensure steady supplies of water and electricity, or keep streets and parks clean, should not be spending undisclosed amounts on renaming a road whose name is uncontroversial.

One scandal within community development is the failure to reopen the Johannesburg Public Library since 2020.

ALSO READ: Patriotic Alliance makes U-turn, calls Sandton Drive renaming ‘divisive’

Years of neglect have been accompanied by roof leaks, cracks, water damage and fire safety concerns.

Bear in mind that road renaming and the library are within the same community development portfolio. MMC Kabelo Gwamanda (Al Jama-ah) wants to honour a plane hijacker with no connection to Johannesburg while neglecting one of the city’s cultural treasures.

Community development officials say their budget is exhausted. They say the city’s transport department will pick up the Sandton Drive renaming tab. This seems unlikely as budgets cannot be shifted around willy-nilly between departments.

In addition, transport MMC Kenny Kunene is critical of the proposed name change to Leila Khaled Drive. Noting that Khaled belongs to a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the US, Kunene says the plan is an ill-advised attempt to humiliate America.

He might be correct but the examples he uses do not bear scrutiny. The US consulate general is on Sandton Drive. Kunene says the business cards of diplomats will have to carry Leila Khaled’s name.

ALSO READ: Sandton Drive name change doesn’t promote goodwill

In fact, the street address of 1 Sandton Drive is not on consular business cards. Nor does it appear on the official website.

This will disappoint the ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane, who wants the US “embassy” to be compelled to change their address to Leila Khaled Drive.

Costs which the cash-strapped city could incur in this proposed renaming are road signage and legal expenses, including possible objection processes.

They could also include updating Joburg’s geographic information system, maps and other public records. The city’s emergency service databases and software would have to be updated.

All this expense would be borne by overburdened Joburg ratepayers, who are not getting value for money.

ALSO READ: Lie-sufi dreams are bad for the GNU

Has the city considered the costs to local businesses in a tough trading environment with high unemployment?

Private sector expenses would include updating marketing materials, stationery, websites, signage, business licences, tax information, contracts, property records at the deeds office and notifying customers and vendors.

There could also be possible loss of income because of confusion and disruption following a name change.

Vagueness about cost calculations weakens the validity of the public participation process under way.

Without fuller information, people cannot make informed decisions.

ALSO READ: Hope is scarce without water

None of this matters to ideologues trying to use other people’s money to demonstrate their solidarity with one side in a highly charged Middle East conflict.

• Send comments to dominicam@joburg.org.za before 15 October.