William Nicol Drive Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive

The former wife of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela waves as she attends the 54th ANC National Conference at the NASREC Expo Centre in Johannesburg on December 16, 2017.
Thousands of delegates from South Africa’s ANC party gathered on December 16, 2017 for a five-day meeting to elect their new leader in a divisive race seen as a pivotal moment in the country’s post-apartheid history. he winner will be well placed to be the next president, but the ANC has lost much popularity since Nelson Mandela led it to power in the euphoric 1994 election that marked the end of white-minority rule.
(AFP PHOTO / MUJAHID SAFODIEN)

William Nicol Drive set to be renamed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive

Proposals are in the pipeline to turn William Nicol Drive into Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive. However, not everyone is happy.

William Nicol Drive Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive

The former wife of the late South African President Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela waves as she attends the 54th ANC National Conference at the NASREC Expo Centre in Johannesburg on December 16, 2017.
Thousands of delegates from South Africa’s ANC party gathered on December 16, 2017 for a five-day meeting to elect their new leader in a divisive race seen as a pivotal moment in the country’s post-apartheid history. he winner will be well placed to be the next president, but the ANC has lost much popularity since Nelson Mandela led it to power in the euphoric 1994 election that marked the end of white-minority rule.
(AFP PHOTO / MUJAHID SAFODIEN)

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela may be further immortalised by the Emfuleni Council in Johannesburg after Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi confirmed the city has recommended renaming William Nicol Drive after the late struggle icon.

The road, which runs to the north of Johannesburg and connects a multitude of suburbs across the municipality, has been named after the South African reverend who helped translate the Bible into Zulu. However, it seems like Ma Winnie’s legacy will see his name removed from the R511.

The news comes on the same day that Grahamstown officially saw its name change to Makhanda, in honour of the former Xhosa warrior, war doctor, philosopher and prophet who represented the antithesis of Colonel John Graham.

Welcome to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive

Fourways, Hyde Park and Bryanston are just some of the places serviced by WND. As TimesLive report, Vadi issued a statement late on Tuesday, confirming that the potential change is motivated by education:

“We have noted that the City of Johannesburg had resolved last Thursday that William Nicol Drive be renamed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive and the Emfuleni Council has recommended that the R82 be named in honour of Duma Nokwe.”

“These recommendations will be processed by the Gauteng and National Geographic Names Councils for final decision-making. In so doing it should raise citizens’ awareness of the heroes and heroines that played significant roles in the country’s struggle against apartheid and its people’s freedom.”

Reaction to William Nicol Drive renaming

However, as you may expect, this wonderfully diverse country of ours is also not-so-wonderfully divided on issues such as these. Some have claimed that the act would be an erasure of history, whereas others hail this suggestion as the recognition Winnie Madikizela-Mandela should be getting:

Earlier in 2018, the EFF lead the charge to have Cape Town International Airport named after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Officials are still considering what the name change will be, but the red berets’ suggestion gained a lot of support from their followers and many other South Africans.