Malema bid to rename airport fails

The ANC – along with some opposition MPs – rejected an EFF-sponsored motion in parliament on Tuesday calling for the Cape Town International Airport to be renamed after anti-apartheid icon Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

The ANC MPs‚ led by chief whip Jackson Mthembu‚ argued that the motion on the renaming of the airport‚ tabled by EFF leader Julius Malema‚ was misplaced as parliament had no legislative authority on name changes.

The motion was also rejected by other parties‚ including the DA and the FF+.

It was supported by the UDM‚ NFP‚ AIC and others.

Malema had argued that renaming the Cape Town airport after “Mama Winnie” would be significant recognition of the role played by women in the fight against apartheid.

He said too many geographical areas had been renamed after men‚ while the contributions of women had not been adequately recognised.

“Let’s rename Cape Town International Airport after Mama Winnie Mandela.

“There’s no currency under the sun that could ever repay her contribution to our freedom,” Malema said.

But the ANC’s Dikeledi Magadzi dismissed the argument as nothing more than an attempt to score cheap points in the run-up to the elections.

Another ANC MP‚ Xoliswa Tom‚ said Malema’s motion circumvented the public consultation process undertaken by the Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa).

“The current draft motion by the EFF is fundamentally flawed,” Tom said.

“Parliament is not constitutionally empowered to resolve on any name change.”

He said it was the responsibility of the South African Geographical Names Council to deal with name changes.

The DA’s Gregory Grootboom said his party did not support Malema’s motion‚ but if the name of the airport had to be changed‚ they would favour one that recognised the history of the Khoisan people‚ regarded as the original residents of the legislative capital.

Cornelius Mulder of the FF+ argued that it should be the Mthatha Airport in the Eastern Cape that was renamed after Madikizela-Mandela‚ since she was born in that region.

At the end of the debate‚ Mthembu tabled amendments to Malema’s motion.

His amendments recognised that the names of other antiapartheid activists, such as Albertina Sisulu‚ Robert Sobukwe and Khoisan princess Krotoa, should also be considered by Acsa and the names council.

Mthembu’s amended motion won the day with 224 votes‚ while 25 voted against it and six abstained.

The debate was not without its fair share of drama.

Deputy speaker Lechesa Tsenoli ordered EFF MP Primrose Sonti to leave the chamber for repeatedly heckling the ANC’s Magadzi.

EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu‚ speaking in defence of Sonti‚ claimed Tsenoli had dealt unfairly with his colleague and “should be removed like a dog” from his position.

Shivambu later withdrew this unparliamentary remark‚ but that did not stop Malema from entering the verbal altercation‚ telling Tsenoli that they were not scared of him.

“I can throw this glass at you‚” Malema warned‚ before he was ordered to withdraw the threat to physically harm Tsenoli.