Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg vehemently rejects assertions made by Executive Mayor, Dada Morero that the DA is responsible for the renaming of Sandton Drive.
There is absolutely no truth to this. The renaming was proposed by Al Jama-Ah in 2018, and had it come to fruition, the street would have been renamed to City of Ramallah Drive. The EFF, co-opted the motion and subsequently proposed the name of Leila Khaled Drive.
Mayor Morero would do well to remember that it was his own caucus, in the face of DA warnings against this action and our objection to the motion, that voted alongside the EFF and others in favour of the renaming.
The mayor must not mislead the public. Council remains the highest decision-making body in Johannesburg; therefore, the motion that passed in 2018 stands.
We are pleased that the city is considering reopening the public participation process and bring a motion to council to rescind this frivolous renaming.
We do however, caution the Executive Mayor to not use the reopening of the public participation process as a stalling tactic due to the diplomatic sensitivity around it, but to rather do away with the motion in its entirety.