of the renaming to O R Tambo International Airport
1 August 2006
Deadline for written âObjectionsâ
The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Z Pallo Jordan would like to express
his thankfulness to the hundreds of people who have written to him to object to
the renaming of the airport to the O R Tambo International Airport.
It is encouraging to note that the name-changing process has deeply moved
hundreds of citizens to play an active role in the countryâs hard-earned
participatory democracy. Now that we have finally reached the cut-off deadline,
which was 30 July 2006, Minister Jordan will go ahead to exercise his
prerogative, guided by both the rule of law and the will of the people.
Reactions and resolution
An official announcement regarding the status of the airport name-change
will be made during the forthcoming Parliamentary Session that will begin in
mid-August.
During the stipulated â30-day window periodâ, reactions have been trickling
in through e-mails, phone-calls and letters at every moment of every hour and,
invariably, have been a mixed bag that reflects divergence of background,
opinion and belief.
There have been numerous people who are opposed to the name-change while
some have welcomed it as a significant development in the right direction. This
is to be expected as name-change is a complex and sensitive issue.
Meaning and context of name-change
Significantly, it should be noted that name-change is an internationally
accepted practice fully supported and endorsed by the United Nations (UN)
that
* countries have the sovereign right to standardise names
* can decide what name to give for each feature in that country should be or
how it should be spelt.
In fact, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the
renaming of geographic features be a form of âsymbolic reparationâ to address
an unjust past. The renaming of the Johannesburg International Airport to O R
Tambo International Airport is based on the advice and recommendations of the
South African Geographical Names Council whose mandate it is to use the process
as an aspect of the healing and reconciliation agenda.
It is important to emphasise that renaming cannot be a number-crunching game
that concerns itself with how many people are opposed to a specific
name-change. It has to bear national imperatives including transformation,
building social cohesion and nurturing a spirit of national unity in mind.
Where to from here?
The announcement of the renaming to O R Tambo International Airport in the
government gazette of 30 June 2006 marked the end of the long, drawn-out
consultative legal process.
This means that it is now with the legal rights of all stakeholders to
implement the new name through signage and other forms. If there is to be any
reversal of this decision, it will be announced by Minister Jordan when he
makes a statement in Parliament in due course.
Will the âobjectionsâ make a difference?
Of course, yes. They are part of the democratic process that affords a voice
to all the people of the land to influence developments in the country.
Minister Jordan asked for written âobjectionsâ to gauge the sentiments of the
people of the land and establish compelling reasons, if there are any, to
reverse this significant development.
However, it would be premature for anyone to tell now whether Minister
Jordan will say âyesâ or ânoâ. We have to exercise patience and bear in mind
that the wheels of justice and democracy grind slowly so that we are all
crystal clear about the meaning of name-change in the national effort to
transform the country.
But Minister Jordan will make an official statement on the status of the
airport name-change as soon as he allocated a slot in Parliament when it
reopens in mid-August.
Enquireis:
Sandile Memela
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Arts and Culture
Cell: 082 800 3750
Premi Appalraju
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 082 375 2939
Issued by: Ministry of Arts and Culture
1 August 2006
Source: Ministry of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za)
