The Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is definitely getting a new name - but it probably won’t be Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, as Julius Malema has asked.
The renaming has been on the cards since the start of the year, Airports Company SA (Acsa) spokesperson Deidre Davids said.
‘‘Acsa confirms that the honourable Minister of Transport, Dr BE Nzimande, directed the company on March 22, 2018 to facilitate the process of changing the name of Cape Town International Airport to Nelson Mandela International Airport.
“The renaming of the airport will follow a due process. Key to this will be following all statutory requirements and a series of stakeholder engagements, including a public participation process,” said Davids.
Department of Transport spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said the renaming was in keeping with the centenary celebrations of Madiba, and there had been consultations over the name since the start of the year.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s name, as well as that of Albertina Sisulu and Robert Sobukwe, were also considered.
Mnisi said the consultation process should be “concluded within the next few months”.
At maWinnie’s funeral at the Orlando Stadium at the weekend, EFF leader Julius Malema ended his speech with a call on the ANC to name the airport after her “if they were serious about honouring maWinnie and her legacy”.
Social media erupted, and some took to amending the Cape Town International Airport’s Wikipedia page and even creating new traffic direction boards with Winnie’s name on it.