South Africa could lose its United States consulate in Johannesburg if the city proceeds with renaming Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive. The controversial proposal, which has divided Johannesburg’s City Council, was upheld during a vote on Thursday, 13 March 2025, despite objections from many councillors and residents.
The motion to rescind the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive was dismissed after a heated council meeting. Critics argued that the renaming process lacked proper public consultation and was opposed by thousands of residents and businesses in Sandton. They emphasized that the city should prioritize service delivery over costly and divisive vanity projects.
However, supporters of the name change, including the ANC and EFF, defended the decision as a show of solidarity with Palestine. Leila Khaled, a former member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), is a controversial figure known for her role in airline hijackings in the late 1960s.
Joel Pollak, the frontrunner to become the US Ambassador to South Africa, warned that the renaming could force the closure of the US consulate in Johannesburg, located at 1 Sandton Drive. “The consulate will be closed and not reopened. It will not be moved to another office. The United States will not do business with Johannesburg,” Pollak stated.
He further commented on X (formerly Twitter), “Helpfully, the renaming would create another savings for DOGE: close the consulate.”
The potential closure of the US consulate would have significant consequences for South Africans. The Johannesburg consulate provides consular services to residents of Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and North-West provinces. These services include assisting Americans with emergencies, issuing passports, and processing visa applications for South Africans.
If the consulate closes, South Africans would need to travel to Cape Town or Durban to access these services, creating additional inconvenience and costs.
The ANC has long been an ally of Palestine, with strong ties to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) dating back to the 1950s. Nomvula Mokonyane, the ANC’s first deputy secretary general, has been a vocal supporter of the name change. She reportedly stated, “We want the United States of America embassy to change their letterhead to Number 1 Leila Khaled Drive. We are sending a message that they cannot dominate us and tell us what to do.”
The renaming of Sandton Drive remains a contentious issue, with potential diplomatic and practical repercussions. As the debate continues, the future of the US consulate in Johannesburg hangs in the balance, leaving many South Africans concerned about the potential loss of vital services.
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