Johannesburg’s City Council rejected a motion today to stop the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive, advancing a plan that may lead to the closure of the U.S. Consulate located at 1 Sandton Drive. The decision, supported by a coalition of the African National Congress (ANC), ActionSA, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), and Patriotic Alliance (PA), overruled an attempt by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to reverse a 2018 council resolution.
The renaming honors Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. Khaled was involved in hijacking TWA Flight 840 in 1969, an American plane diverted to Damascus with no passenger deaths, and attempted to hijack El Al Flight 219 in 1970, during which her accomplice was killed. The proposal originated in 2018 from Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad and was approved with ANC and EFF backing.
Public participation in 2024 recorded over 30,000 objections, including 5,500 formal submissions from the DA. The city claims over 100,000 signatures support the change, though the process has faced allegations of irregularities. In February 2025, the Political Management Committee paused the renaming for further review, but today’s vote restarted the process.
The U.S. Consulate’s address at 1 Sandton Drive makes the renaming a diplomatic issue, as the U.S. could be forced to use “1 Leila Khaled Drive” on official documents. In February 2025, Joel Pollak, a candidate for U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, warned that this could prompt the consulate’s permanent closure. Posts on X today suggest closure might align with U.S. cost-saving measures. No official U.S. statement has been released as of March 13, 2025, 12:31 PM PDT.
Implementation of the name change remains pending, with no set timeline confirmed. The decision follows years of debate and reflects ongoing tensions over South Africa’s foreign policy and local governance priorities.
Tags: US Consulate