R1,000 per sign to rename William Nicol Drive
The recent renaming of the famous William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive has caused quite a stir in South Africa.
The City of Johannesburg celebrated the renaming of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive on Tuesday in an unveiling ceremony.
The plaque on the newly named #WinnieMandelaDrive is revealed by MMC for Transport, @Kenny_T_Kunene and the Mandela family #JoburgRoads #JoburgRoadSafety #JHBTraffic ^NJ pic.twitter.com/2qvoDwCr9E
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) September 26, 2023
The event was attended by several vital delegates, among them First Lady of South Africa Tshepo Ramaphosa and Johannesburg Mayor Kabelo Gwananda, to mention a few.
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According to recent reports, mayoral spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamse said 25 road signs had been changed to the new name.
"The cost of that has been R25,000. It works to basically R1,000 per sign," said Ndamse.
According to Caxton News, an estimated 32 signs in total would need to change.
Johannesburg Roads and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene also defended the overall cost of the name change after critics suggested the money spent was too much.
The renaming of William Nicol to Winnie Mandela Drive is an effort to honor the legacy of the incredible Winnie Mandela, a symbol of resilience and strength. Her name will now guide the way through this vibrant part of our city 🇿🇦 #WinnieMandelaDrive #JoburgRoads #JHBTraffic ^NJ pic.twitter.com/zYRgozVZ8P
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) September 27, 2023
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"You can’t put monetary value to the pain of South Africans. You can’t put a price on reconciliation. Reconciliation was not fully done; it is not a one-way street.
"For us to be able to deal with the pain of apartheid, we must remove all the names of apartheid architects and those who implemented it, those who murdered our people, and those who [caused] us so much pain and trauma," he said.
Johannesburg Roads and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene says the renaming of William Nicol Drive to Winnie Mandela Drive was long overdue. Asked about the money spent on the renaming, Kunene says "You can't put monetary value to the pain of South Africans.''https://t.co/3SO9q3o6SW pic.twitter.com/A1bb0HGMAI
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 27, 2023
According to The Citizen, the City of Johannesburg spent about R250,000 on the name change. This includes the advertising of the new name change, the public participation process, and the erection of the new street signs.
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