MMC for Community Development Kabelo Gwamanda has said that the renaming of Sandton Drive is budgeted for, and will happen once due processes have been followed.
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“[The] Public participation is for measuring the impact that it has on society, but the city has, ultimately, decided on the renaming,” Gwamanda said. “Look, public participation is a mandatory process; but, it would have been a decision that has already been taken.”
Gwamanda was speaking at the Johannesburg Arts, Culture, and Heritage Office in Newtown on October 15, where thousands of petitions have been submitted over the proposed renaming of the drive in Sandton after Palestinian Activist Leila Khaled.
“I would be in a position later on to inform you exactly how much it’s going to cost us,” said Gwamanda. “At this point it’s a function that has been budgeted for by the department, [as] it goes through advertising, and it’s quite critical to create an awareness.”
Gwamanda said that he was confident in the mechanisms City of Johannesburg (CoJ) will be using towards processing the received petitions.
“I’m sure that it might take the team quite a while, considering that there are physical submissions also being made,” he said, continuing. “However, I am quite confident in the diligence of the team that is responsible for the process, and the adjudication thereto.”
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Thousands of petitions have been submitted to the Johannesburg Arts, Culture, and Heritage Office in Newtown over the proposed renaming.
The deadline for members of the community was set at 16:00 on October 15 by the CoJ, at which time petitions in favour of, and against, the proposed name had to have been submitted.
Ward councillors from the Sandton region, represented by Wards 90, 93, and 103 councillors Martin Williams, Vino Reddy, and Lynda Shackleford, submitted over 5 500 objections by the afternoon on behalf of concerned residents of the Sandton community.
A coalition of representatives from Al Jama-Ah, the ANC, and the Africa for Palestine organisation all rallied outside the drop-off venue – where they were received by Gwamanda. The group submitted a total of 73 000 petitions in favour of the proposal to rename Sandton Drive after Leila Khaled, collected from residents from across the greater spectrum of Johannesburg.
The MMC spoke on how renaming was not just a token, but a gesture of fellowship with the people of Palestine.
Gwamanda welcomed all voices, both in favour off and against, praising how the exercise of public participation by CoJ should be seen as a demonstration of following processes to allow for the voices of the city’s people to be heard.
“Let us follow due process. We will definitely inform you in due time the exact date of the launch,” Gwamanda concluded.
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Related article: Petitions for and against renaming of Sandton Drive submitted to city
