President Cyril Ramaphosa will intervene in the ANC’s ongoing push to change the name of well-known Sandton Drive in Johannesburg to Leila Khaled Drive.
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya notified the media of the invention on Thursday, saying that the national government will step in and engage with the City of Johannesburg through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
‘Very sensitive diplomatic ties’
He said that while the government is mandated to change the names of roads to “reflect and set apart the new dispensation from the old one”, the Sandton Drive issue carries very sensitive diplomatic ties.
This is because the United States Consulate is located at 1 Sandton Drive.
The United States is a strong ally of Israel – and Leila Khaled is a Palestinian freedom fighter.
First female plane hijacker
Leila Khaled, now 80, became internationally known for her involvement in militant activities in the 1960s and 1970s.
Born on 9 April 1944, in Haifa (now part of Israel), she became a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a left-wing Palestinian nationalist organisation that advocated for armed struggle against Israel.
Khaled gained significant attention for her role in hijacking two airplanes in the late 1960s.
She was the first ever female hijacker.
- TWA Flight 840 (1969): Khaled, along with other PFLP members, hijacked this American flight traveling from Rome to New York. The hijacking ended with the plane landing safely in Damascus, Syria, where Khaled and her fellow hijackers were arrested but later released as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
- Dawson’s Field Hijackings (1970): Khaled participated in a series of hijackings known as the Dawson’s Field hijackings, which were coordinated by the PFLP. The hijackers targeted multiple planes, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. The planes were diverted to a remote area in Jordan and the hostages were eventually released.
Khaled’s actions made her a symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation but also earned her the label of “terrorist” from many countries – including the United States and Israel – which condemned the hijackings as acts of terrorism.
She was imprisoned by Israel for her role in the hijackings but was released in a 1979 prisoner exchange deal.
Over the years, Khaled has maintained her stance as a militant, advocating for the Palestinian cause through armed struggle, although she has also served as a spokesperson and representative of Palestinian political organisations.
Khaled remains a controversial figure, admired by some as a symbol of Palestinian resistance and criticised by others as a terrorist due to her violent actions.
Thus changing Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive would likely be seen by the United States as an insult and would, according to reports, lead to them closing their consulate in Johannesburg.
Don’t make matters worse
Magwenya said the situation was diplomatically sensitive and the president wants to avoid fanning the flames.
“We recognise the diplomatic sensitivities in renaming Sandton Drive, particularly with the United States of America,” Magwenya said.
“The purpose of the talks with the City of Johannesburg is to agree to a process for the national executive to manage the diplomatic tensions with the US without enflaming the situation.”
‘Harmful to SA-US relations’
The Democratic Alliance (DA) were quick to welcome the announcement that the Presidency will be intervening on the issue of the renaming Sandton Drive.
In a statement, the DA said that ‘The Presidency is correct in indicating that this issue is harmful to SA-US relations and is an unnecessary provocation at this time.
‘The USA is one of our largest trade and investment partners, and the renaming issue does not help our country’s efforts to stabilise relations.’
Does it make any sense to rename Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
