ANC and EFF Supporters Celebrate the Renaming of William Nicole Drive in Honour of Winnie Mandela
- Supporters of the ANC and EFF celebrated the renaming of William Nicol Drive in honour of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
- The ANC claims to have initiated the renaming in 2018, while the EFF accused the ANC of hijacking their proposal
- Many South Africans are unfazed by the renaming and say the City of Joburg should have created jobs instead
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JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters celebrated the renaming of William Nicol Drive in Johannesburg in honour of the late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Source: Getty Images
The renaming of the long stretch of road coincided with the apartheid stalwart's birthday on 26 September.
Party members gathered in song and dance as the City of Johannesburg officially renamed the road. IOL captured supporters' enthusiasm on camera.
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ANC explains why William Nicol was renamed
The ANC put forward a motion to rename William Nicol Drive to the City of Johannesburg council in 2018. At the time, the party wanted the road to be reamed Winnie Mandela Avenue, according to a statement seen by Briefly News.
The party explained that with the renaming, they hoped to acknowledge Madikizela-Mandela's contribution to the fight for freedom in South Africa.
"By renaming streets and buildings after these icons, the ANC aims to ensure that their legacies are preserved and future generations are reminded of the sacrifices and achievements of those who fought against apartheid and other injustices," read the statement.
EFF accuses ANC of hijacking the renaming of William Nicol Drive
EFF members have accused the ANC of hijacking the unveiling of Winnie Mandela Drive and argue that the motion was proposed by the Red Berets in 2018.
Joburg Safety and Security MMC Mgcini Tshwaku told Newzroom Afrika that the EFF had always supported the proposal to name the stretch of road after Mama Winnie.
"As you know, it has been the EFF that has been elevating her name. Even the headquarters of the EFF is Winnie Madikizela Mandela, and also the CIC has tabled a motion in Parliament to rename Cape Town [International Airport]," said Tshwaku.
The EFF member said the party was surprised that the ANC wanted to hijack the renaming because the ruling party had tainted her name. Tshwaku emphasised that it was the EFF's idea.
Joburgers react to the renaming of William Nicol Drive
@John42062755 said:
"Wasting a lot of money on unnecessary things. That money could have been better spent elsewhere."
@ses_tech said:
"#MandelaLegacy... long live Mam Winnie and our sister Zoleka."
@epitomic_chris said:
"WASTE OF MONEY - Why don't you just do your jobs?"
@Lindels01 commented:
"How about you launch some basic services like steady electricity and water supply instead of wasting money on this pointless virtue signalling? Waste of money as usual."
Mzansi shaken up after William Nicol Drive explosion
Briefly News previously reported that one of the country’s busiest routes was plunged into chaos when a vehicle exploded on the N1 highway near William Nicol Drive on Friday, 17 February 2023.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) said a petrol container was being transported on a trailer, which dislodged from the vehicle. The container landed on the freeway before exploding.
EWN reported that the roadway has since been closed in both directions as clean-up operations continue. The incident left many citizens concerned. However, emergency services were on the scene.
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Source: Briefly News
