The diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the United States have intensified following the City of Johannesburg’s decision to reject a motion aimed at halting the renaming of Sandton Drive. The street, home to the US consulate, is set to be renamed after Leila Khaled, a Palestinian activist and former plane hijacker.
Council Votes Against DA Motion
A majority of Johannesburg’s city council members voted against the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) motion on Thursday, sealing the fate of the renaming effort. The city is currently governed by a coalition comprising the African National Congress (ANC), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Patriotic Alliance (PA), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), Al Jama-ah, and ActionSA.
Leila Khaled’s Controversial Legacy
The initiative to rename Sandton Drive was championed by former Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda of Al Jama-ah during his tenure from May to August 2023. Khaled, a well-known figure in the Palestinian liberation movement, gained international notoriety in 1969 when she participated in the hijacking of a US Trans World Airlines flight en route to Tel Aviv. The hijackers believed that Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Rabin was on board, but he was not. The aircraft was diverted to Damascus, where its nose was later destroyed in an explosion. While no casualties resulted from the attack, several passengers sustained minor injuries.
Khaled was involved in another hijacking attempt the following year, targeting an El Al flight from Amsterdam to New York. She and her accomplice, Patrick Argüello, attempted to storm the cockpit by threatening to detonate grenades. Argüello shot a passenger and threw a grenade, which failed to explode. The flight was ultimately diverted to London, where Khaled was apprehended. Argüello succumbed to injuries sustained in a struggle with passengers. Khaled was later released as part of a hostage exchange agreement.
ANC’s Support for the Renaming
The ANC has openly supported the renaming, with deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane stating that it serves as both a show of solidarity with Palestine and a rebuke to the US. At a rally last year, she declared, “We want the US 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.”
DA’s Opposition and Public Outcry
Since the renaming proposal was introduced, the DA has actively opposed it, citing thousands of objections from the public. The latest attempt to overturn the decision came from ward 102 councillor Lynda Shackleford but was ultimately defeated.
Controversial Remarks in Council Debate
The council meeting where the issue was debated took a controversial turn when Tebogo Nkonkou, the mayoral committee member for community development from the PAC, made inflammatory remarks directed at DA ward 72 councillor Daniel Schay. Nkonkou expressed a desire to bring an image of Adolf Hitler into the chamber, allegedly in response to Schay wearing a yarmulke adorned with the Star of David. Mthembu of ActionSA reprimanded Nkonkou, calling his remarks inappropriate and damaging to the council’s integrity.
Schay later reacted on social media, criticizing the ANC-led coalition and drawing attention to what he described as rising political hostility. “Hate in South African politics is real, and this member serves at the behest of an ANC mayor,” he posted.
The renaming of Sandton Drive remains a point of heated debate, illustrating both local and international tensions. With the DA failing to reverse the decision, the change is set to move forward, further straining diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US.
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