THE City of Johannesburg would like to address the recent narrative in the media space suggesting that a decision has been made to rename Sandton Drive.
The City wishes to clarify that the naming and/or renaming of streets and public spaces is the responsibility of the Council, and that the City has a defined process on how the process is undertaken. The decision to name or rename any street and/or public features within the boundaries of the City rests solely with Council.
As many may recall, at a Council Meeting held on November 28-29, 2018, a motion was adopted to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive, in order to strengthen the signed twinning agreement and memorandum of cooperation 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.
It is important to note that the City of Johannesburg has a Naming and Renaming Policy in place, which emphasizes the importance of public consultation as an essential element of good governance. As such, the City has commenced a public participation process, affording residents a 28-day window to provide their inputs and comments on the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
The City encourages all stakeholders to participate in this process, by sending through their submissions on or before the closing date, ensuring that their voices are heard and valued. The City of Johannesburg remains committed to transparency, accountability, and community engagement in all decision-making processes.
The City also urges interested stakeholder to avoid sharing false information about the naming and renaming process by suggesting that the proposed renaming of Sandton Drive has already been concluded.
The City invite submissions, being to object or support the proposed renaming, to be send to Dominica Masalesa at dominicam@joburg.org.zaon or before the closing date of 15 October 2024 before 16:30
Please note that no submissions received after 16h30 will be considered by the City.
