The Joburg wing of the ruling ANC party recently announced that it has initiated the process of renaming the well-known William Nicol Drive in the city to Winnie Mandela Drive, after the second wife of late President Nelson Mandela, in terms of the City’s approved policy on the Naming of Streets and Other Public Places.
The proposal to change the name of the arterial road, which stretches from Hyde Park on Jan Smuts Avenue until Summit road near Diepsloot, was officially tabled as far back as 2021 when the party gave citizens one month to comment on the initiative before it went ahead.
Now, “following numerous calls by the ANC and petitions processes leading to the motion being passed in council, the City of Johannesburg has started with the process,” said the ANC.
“We are honoured that the City of Johannesburg recognises Mama Winnie’s contribution and immeasurable commitment to the liberation of South Africa.”
WINNIE MANDELA DRIVE
We are honoured that the City of Johannesburg recognises Mama Winnie’s contribution and immeasurable commitment to the liberation of SA. pic.twitter.com/Zjk1BmeAwN
— ANC Greater Johannesburg Region (@ANCJHB) August 28, 2023
Why now?
According to the City of Johannesburg, William Nicol, who lived between 1887 and 1967, was a Dutch Reformed minister, theologian, educator, and Administrator of the then-Transvaal Province between the years 1948 and 1958.
Officially, the road was never given the name William Nicol Drive, with its real designation being P79/1, but it was nicknamed Nicol Drive due to William Nicol being in office while it was under construction, BusinessTech reports.
The motivation behind the changing of the road’s name stems from a desire to remind residents of the country’s rich history, said late mayor of Joburg, Geoffry Makhubo, in 2021.
“Names carry history. They say something about those whose contributions are deemed worthy of a public and multi-generational memory. These are by their very nature contentious and that is why they must always be treated with the sensitivity they deserve,” he said.
“This renaming of one of the city’s iconic landmarks is as a result of the council’s commitment to social transformation and cohesion. It symbolises the immeasurable commitment of Mama Winnie to the struggle for humanity and liberation of our country.”
Winnie Mandela, fondly nicknamed the “mother of the nation”, was a resident of Johannesburg since 1952 after moving to the city from her birthplace in the Transkei.
Here, she became one the first black social workers in South Africa who dedicated her life to the betterment of the country, holding several positions in government and serving as an MP until she passed in 2018, said Makhubo.
Mandela was also bestowed with the Freedom of the City award – the City’s highest civilian honour.
“Until her last day, Mama Winnie was a resident of this world-class African City,” the councillor said.
“The renaming of one of the City’s iconic landmarks is a result of the Council’s acknowledgement of “Mama Winnie’s” immeasurable commitment to the struggle for humanity and for liberating this country.”
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