“They Want To Look Funds”: SA Pushes Back as Tshwane Plans To Rename Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria

The City of Tshwane has officially kicked off a public participation process to rename Wonderboom National Airport in Pretoria. The council approved the move in late May 2026, honouring the Ndebele people as the original landowners of the area. Mzansi is divided, and many are not holding back.

The proposal was first put on the table back in 2018 by Jan Mthimkhulu Mahlangu. It was resubmitted in 2024 and is now being reviewed under the city’s Geographical Names Policy. According to reports, Tshwane MMC Sarah Mabotsa said that the new name will reflect Ndebele heritage and restore recognition to those displaced from the land.

Heritage vs. bread and butter

Not everyone is on board with the plan. The Democratic Alliance in Tshwane rejected the proposal outright. The party says the city should focus on fixing potholes, improving service delivery and growing the economy instead.

Critics are also pointing to the airport’s finances. The facility has been running at a loss for years, and South Africans say spending money on a name change sends the wrong message entirely.

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Supporters, however, see it differently. Reports also suggest that Section 79 chairperson Joel Masilela said that the renaming is about restoring dignity to the Ndebele people. He reportedly argued that their history stretches back centuries before colonial rule and deserves recognition.

South Africans online have been blunt about where they stand. Many say they will simply keep calling it Wonderboom, no matter what the council decides. Others are questioning the cost to taxpayers during a tough economic period.

See the report on the Facebook post here:

More stuff renaming in SA

• Winnie Mandela has been honoured by renaming the town of Brandfort after her.
• The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tabled a motion to rename the Kruger National Park as Skukuza.
• The Nicolway Shopping Centre in Bryanston was officially renamed Winifred Mandela Precinct, after struggle icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Source: Briefly News