Sandton’s busiest road William Nicol Drive will be renamed Winnie Mandela Drive, the City of Johannesburg said on Friday.
The new name will be unveiled on Tuesday to coincide with the late struggle veteran’s 87th birthday.
According to the city, this is to honour Madikizela-Mandela who is one of the national icons, and both the national and provincial governments have approved the move.
Speaking for the City, Mlimandlela Ndamase said Madikizela-Mandela will be celebrated by many generations to come for her immense contribution towards the attainment of democracy in South Africa.
Madikizela-Mandela, fondly known as the Mother of the Nation, passed away in 2018. She had made Johannesburg her home since 1952 when she moved to the city from her birthplace in the Eastern Cape.
The process to change the name started in 2021 with so many petitions and proposals involved.
At the time, the city said the change was generally welcomed but “noted” some negative sentiments around the idea.
The late former mayor of Johannesburg, Geoffry Makhubo, defended the move, saying it is important to rename streets and places to remind residents of the history of the country.
“Names carry history. They say something about those whose contributions are deemed worthy of a public and multi-generational memory,” Makhubo said at the time.
“These are by their very nature contentious and that is why they must always be treated with the sensitivity they deserve.”
From 1948 to 1958, William Nicol was the administrator of the former Transvaal during the road’s construction
According to the Heritage Portal, the name William Nicol Drive was never officially given to the road, and it was known as the Bryanston Highway, alias William Nicol, with the official designation P79/1.
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