The decision to rename Sandton Drive in honour of Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has drawn criticism from many locals, according to DA MP Leah Potgieter.
The EFF backed the ANC’s proposal, which was put forth in Johannesburg.
ActionSA and the DA, however, have expressed serious concerns about this proposal due to the lack of basic services.
According to Potgieter, Sandton DA council members are actively interacting with the community to get feedback on the renaming.
They have so far gathered 285 comments in favour of the proposal and 4,169 objections.
Since there have been previous cases where objections were left out of official reports, she clarified that these responses will be sent to the City of Johannesburg in order to guarantee a transparent process.
“Sandton residents and Joburg at large have long expressed extreme frustration over ongoing issues such as severe water shortages, unrehabilitated roads, persistent power outages, and unreliable waste management, to name but a few failures by the current administration,” said Potgieter.
“While these essential services remain unaddressed, the ANC-run government has chosen to focus on symbolic gestures that do little to improve the day-to-day lives of the people they are meant to serve.”
Political ploy
Potgieter characterised the proposed renaming as an obvious political ploy, emphasising a gap between the city government and the demands of its constituents.
In contrast to projects like renaming streets, she claims the DA thinks that effective governance and policy changes should take precedence.
According to her, the DA is dedicated to policies that prioritise accountability, better service delivery, and infrastructure investment.
“We encourage the City of Johannesburg council to shelve this renaming proposal and prioritise pressing service delivery issues that affect the residents of Sandton and the City of Joburg as a whole
“We can survive without a new street name; we cannot survive without basic services such as water and electricity.
“We urge residents to vote for the DA in 2026 to bring about real change and restore the focus on the essential services that affect our daily lives,” she said.
