Supporters of the ANC and other interested parties take part in a picket outside the Johannesburg council chamber yesterday, calling on the council to implement its resolution to rename Sandton Drive Leila Khaled Drive. The renaming was voted for in 2018. Picture: Michel Bega
The ANC’s Johannesburg region is pushing for Sandton Drive to be renamed for Leila Khaled to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Five years ago, the Johannesburg council passed a motion to rename the road Leila Khaled Drive, but nothing has been done.
Khaled, 79, is a Palestinian refugee, former militant and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
In October, MMC for community development Lubabalo Magwentshu told The Citizen the city was forging ahead with renaming Sandton Drive after William Nicol was renamed Winnie Mandela Drive.
Magwentshu said the resolution was passed even before he was a councillor.
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“As an MMC for community development, I must ensure that such resolutions are implemented within the confines of the law and the budget goes with that,” he said.
Yesterday the ANC marched to the Johannesburg council chamber to demand that the renaming of named Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
Joburg ANC region executive committee member Thuthukile Zuma said the council took a resolution to change the name in 2018.
He said they wanted the decision to be implemented not only to pay tribute to Khalid and her contribution to the Palestinian struggle, but also to pledge and show their solidarity with the people of Palestine who, he said, have been under Israeli oppression for over 70 years.
There have been those who were against the name change, saying that Khalid was a terrorist after she was part of a crew that hijacked a plane which they thought then Israeli US ambassador Yitzhak Rabin was in.
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They later blew up the nose of the plane after passengers disembarked.
However, Zuma said Nelson Mandela was also classified as a terrorist.
“We don’t take seriously who the imperialist, especially the US and the Western countries, call terrorists because they call our heroes terrorists and our liberators terrorists,” she said.
“In fact, we welcome it. When the US and the imperialist are upset with you, you are probably doing something right.
“We feel like Leila Khaled is the Winnie Mandela of Palestine. We think that the name is befitting, especially its location because it intersects with Winnie Mandela.”
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