South Africa could lose its United States consulate in Johannesburg if the city changes the name of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
On Thursday, 13 March 2025, a motion to rescind renaming Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive was dismissed after a vote during a council meeting.
Many councillors claimed that the process of renaming Sandton Drive was fraught with problems, including questionable support from residents.
These councillors argued that the city should focus on service delivery instead of wasting money on vanity projects like name changes.
They added that thousands of residents and businesses in Sandton opposed the change and that it was highly controversial.
However, other Johannesburg councillors supported the name change, arguing that it shows support for Palestine.
Most of the City of Johannesburg councillors voted against the motion to rescind the renaming of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive.
US RESPONSE
Joel Pollak, the frontrunner to become the United States Ambassador to South Africa, warned that this name change could have severe consequences.
It will see the United States close its consulate in Johannesburg, which is located at 1 Sandton Drive in Sandhurst.
“The consulate will be closed and not be reopened. It will not be moved and go to another office. The United States will not do business with Johannesburg,” he said.
Pollak added in a post on X, “Helpfully, the renaming would create another savings for DOGE: close the consulate.”
WHO IS LEILA KHALED
Leila Khaled is a controversial freedom fighter for Palestinian rights and a former Palestinian militant and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
Khaled gained prominence after her role in the TWA Flight 840 hijacking in 1969 and one of the four simultaneous Dawson’s Field hijackings the following year.
She was imprisoned for the hijackings but was released in a prisoner exchange for civilian hostages kidnapped by other PFLP members.
