Ramaphosa steps in to Sandton Drive renaming debacle

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared that national government will intervene to prevent the African National Congress’s (ANC’s) ongoing push in the Johannesburg City Council to name Sandton Drive after plane hijacker Leila Khaled.

However, critics say the president, who made the statement through his spokesperson last week, has no jurisdiction over the Johannesburg City Council, and this move is potentially a delaying tactic to appease the United States (US) government.

As yet, there have been no further developments. The name change still has the green light to go ahead with no impediments in its place. This despite a raging controversy that threatens to further escalate diplomatic tensions between the US, which has its consulate at the top of the road, and South Africa.

The consulate is now on 1 Sandton Drive and its address would change to be named after a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) who was involved in multiple airline hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s. The PFLP is a US-designated terrorist organisation.

The truth is, says ward councillor for the area, Martin Williams, “The presidency cannot override a Joburg Council resolution [motion].” This means that the renaming hasn’t been stopped or resolved, it has passed all the barriers and can be done tomorrow.

“Finality can be achieved by a vote in council,” says Williams. “We understand the diplomatic issues, but cannot be lulled into complacency on this matter. The 2018 motion to rename Sandton Drive hasn’t been rescinded or rendered null and void. Not yet.”

While changing the name to “Leila Khaled Drive” is ready to be implemented, hope persists for those still fighting it. The Democratic Alliance (DA) continues to challenge the renaming. On 13 March, the DA’s motion to rescind the name change was defeated, leaving the situation tenuous.

However, legal ambiguities, political double speak, and diplomatic sensitivities continue to cloud the issue.

Ramaphosa’s stepping in is a major development, but appears to have no real power. However, presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed last Thursday, 20 March, that the presidency, through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, is engaging the City of Johannesburg due to the matter’s “diplomatic sensitivities”.

The renaming is viewed in diplomatic circles as direct provocation to the US, a key Israeli ally. ANC First Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokonyane fuelled this perception when she reportedly said, “We want the United States of America embassy to change their letterhead to Number 1 Leila Khaled Drive.”

Magwenya urged political leaders to “not inflame the situation”, stating that the presidency was attempting to manage tensions with the US and ensure due process was followed.

“There are engagements underway to get the leadership in Johannesburg to reconsider the process,” Magwenya said last week. While suggesting that the president isn’t in favour of the renaming, the ultimate decision, for now, appears left to others.

But political grandstanding and behind-the-scenes deals have muddied the waters. ActionSA, which has publicly opposed the renaming, voted alongside the ANC and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) against the DA’s motion to scrap the process entirely. This motion, if passed, would have shut the door for good on the proposal.

Instead, some councillors were seen celebrating after defeating the DA’s motion, while anti-US and anti-Israel slogans were hurled in council. The political contradiction is glaring: one cannot claim to oppose the renaming while voting to keep it alive, said Williams.

Though ActionSA says the renaming is “on hold”, and the PA claims it has been paused until after the elections, this has no legal bearing, says Williams.

“Only a council vote can formally rescind the motion passed in 2018 to rename the road,” he says.

Some parties insist the process has been halted, yet no formal resolution confirms this. The DA contends that the public participation process was flawed, and has called for an audit of public input.

More than 5 000 traceable signatures opposing the change have been collected by DA ward councillors who represent Sandton residents.

There are also allegations that the city violated its own naming policy, tainting the legitimacy of the public participation process.

The city’s community development department is expected to compile a report on the matter, but the final decision must be made by a transparent vote in council, not in backrooms or through political deals.

Meanwhile, the DA has “firmly supported” the president’s intervention, arguing that renaming the street at this time would harm South Africa’s relations with the US.

“The US is one of our largest trade and investment partners, and the renaming issue doesn’t help our country’s efforts to stabilise relations. The DA stands ready to support the closure of this embarrassing chapter for the City of Johannesburg,” said Emma Louise Powell, DA spokesperson on international relations and cooperation.

When asked if there were any other avenues the DA could explore, she told the SA Jewish Report, “This is all we are prepared to say right now, anything else will compromise the agreement.”

For now, the renaming saga remains in limbo, caught between political gamesmanship, community outrage, diplomatic backlash, and uncertainty.

And while the ANC pushes ahead under the banner of historical redress, critics warn that naming a street outside the US consulate after a known hijacker isn’t just diplomatically reckless, it’s dangerously provocative.