DA accuses Sandton Drive renaming lobby of fraud

The hotly contested proposed renaming of Sandton Drive to “Leila Khaled Drive” has become a national flashpoint, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) taking the matter to Parliament this week.

DA Member of Parliament and Sandton constituency head, Leah Potgieter, decried the public participation process, calling for an independent audit after thousands of allegedly unverifiable petitions were submitted in support of the renaming.

“The DA believes fraud has been committed, and will submit this issue to the relevant government bodies for investigation,” said Potgieter.

Ward councillors directly impacted by the proposal to rename the popular Sandton road have requested an independent audit of all submissions made to the community development department which deals with the matter.

Sandton Drive is home to the United States consulate, and is within walking distance of several synagogues and Jewish schools. Khaled, 80, is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a designated terrorist organisation. The renaming is viewed by many as a violation of the city’s own renaming policies, which state that naming after a living person should be avoided and a name should promote goodwill and reconciliation, among other things. It’s also seen as a waste of money in the face of crumbling city infrastructure. Many say the renaming serves no purpose other than to antagonise significant sections of the community.

The African National Congress (ANC) has thrown its weight behind the name change. The ANC’s first deputy secretary general, Nomvula Mokonyane, told colleagues recently that the campaign to change the name must “happen in our lifetime”.

“We want the United States of America embassy to change their letterhead to Number 1 Leila Khaled Drive. We are sending a message that they cannot dominate us and tell us what to do. It must be in their face, it must be in their computers, in their letterheads,” she said.

In a letter to Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor Dada Morero and City Manager Floyd Brink, Sandton ward councillors Martin Williams and Lynda Shackelford said, “It has come to our attention that many thousands of submissions were made on mass-produced statements bearing name and signature without accompanying critical information as physical address, email address, phone number, identity number, or even date of birth”.

They said that the submissions should be considered invalid due to the “lack of traceable details” for signatories.

The DA facilitated more than 5 500 formal objections from residents and local businesses, who oppose renaming Sandton Drive after Khaled, a controversial figure linked to airline hijackings in the 1970s. Pro-Palestinian lobbyists submitted more than 70 000 petitions in favour of the name change, however the DA claims these are invalid.

The surge of petitions from both sides reached the City of Johannesburg following the deadline for public participation on 15 October. However, the DA’s opposition and insistence on accountability have injected a powerful voice into the fray, raising questions about transparency and democratic principles in the handling of South Africa’s public spaces.

Potgieter voiced her concerns in a session on Tuesday, 29 October, saying that the public participation process, a critical aspect of assessing community impact, had been compromised. She attributed this to the involvement of disgraced former Johannesburg mayor and current member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for community development, Kabelo Gwamanda, who, despite his recent arrest for fraud, played a key role in advancing the contentious renaming proposal.

Gwamanda, a member of the Al Jama-ah party which holds three out of 270 seats in the council, was placed on special leave with immediate effect following his arrest in connection with a fraudulent funeral insurance scheme. He was arrested on Friday, 18 October, for allegedly swindling Soweto residents in a funeral insurance scam that he ran in 2011 and 2012. He was arrested after a victim of his alleged Ponzi scheme opened a case at the Protea Glen police station in Soweto. He appeared in the Protea Magistrates Court on charges of fraud in connection with the case, and was ordered to pay R2 000 bail. According to reports, an investigation by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority in 2023 found that Gwamanda disappeared in 2012 when his clients came looking for their money. He has previously defended himself against allegations of dubious dealings in connection with his company, the iThemba Lama Afrika funeral scheme.

The protracted road renaming saga dates back to 2018, when now failed mayor Thapelo Amad, then councillor of Al Jama-ah, brought the motion before the council. Amad stepped down as mayor last year on the eve of a motion of no confidence in him. His original motion was seconded by ANC Councillor Eunice Mgcina, who has since become an MMC. In Gwamanda’s absence, she has been appointed acting MMC for community development, responsible for overseeing street naming.

According to Potgieter, Gwamanda announced a city-funded event to discuss the renaming just hours before the process deadline, choosing to meet only one interested party. He claimed to have gathered 100 000 submissions supporting the name change, but DA councillors allege that these submissions lack essential details for verification.

Potgieter said an independent audit was essential to maintain the credibility of the process, which was “clearly compromised by an individual already accused of defrauding the people of Johannesburg”.

Critics argue that renaming Sandton Drive in honour of Khaled is needlessly provocative. To Israel haters, she represents a freedom fighter, but to others, particularly in the Jewish community, she is seen as a terrorist. Business leaders in Sandton have expressed concern over how the decision will affect the district’s reputation. “Our public spaces should unify us, not divide us,” stated one Sandton businessman. “The way this process has been handled undermines trust in our local government.”

The DA’s demand for an independent review has intensified the national spotlight on Johannesburg’s approach to politically charged naming issues.

Williams said that the people of Johannesburg deserve a process that respects their voices, not one manipulated by politicians with compromised records.