Proposals are in the pipeline to turn William Nicol Drive into Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive. However, not everyone is happy.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela may be further immortalised by the Emfuleni Council in Johannesburg after Gauteng Transport MEC Ismail Vadi confirmed the city has recommended renaming William Nicol Drive after the late struggle icon.
The road, which runs to the north of Johannesburg and connects a multitude of suburbs across the municipality, has been named after the South African reverend who helped translate the Bible into Zulu. However, it seems like Ma Winnie’s legacy will see his name removed from the R511.
The news comes on the same day that Grahamstown officially saw its name change to Makhanda, in honour of the former Xhosa warrior, war doctor, philosopher and prophet who represented the antithesis of Colonel John Graham.
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Welcome to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive
Fourways, Hyde Park and Bryanston are just some of the places serviced by WND. As TimesLive report, Vadi issued a statement late on Tuesday, confirming that the potential change is motivated by education:
“We have noted that the City of Johannesburg had resolved last Thursday that William Nicol Drive be renamed Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Drive and the Emfuleni Council has recommended that the R82 be named in honour of Duma Nokwe.”
“These recommendations will be processed by the Gauteng and National Geographic Names Councils for final decision-making. In so doing it should raise citizens’ awareness of the heroes and heroines that played significant roles in the country’s struggle against apartheid and its people’s freedom.”
Reaction to William Nicol Drive renaming
However, as you may expect, this wonderfully diverse country of ours is also not-so-wonderfully divided on issues such as these. Some have claimed that the act would be an erasure of history, whereas others hail this suggestion as the recognition Winnie Madikizela-Mandela should be getting:
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But they have money to now go change more major road names like William Nicol after Winnie Mandela… stop wasting our Tax money on Bullshit name changes! Let history be history and make new roads!
— Deviouz (@deviouzJ) October 2, 2018
Earlier in 2018, the EFF lead the charge to have Cape Town International Airport named after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Officials are still considering what the name change will be, but the red berets’ suggestion gained a lot of support from their followers and many other South Africans.
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Here is a bit of history for you about William Nicol:- Six essential things to know about the historical figure
You’ve probably driven down a road named him, or encountered his moniker during history lessons. But William Nicol is back in the headlines – 51 years after his death – following the news that the R511 in Johannesburg is set to replace his name with that of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s.
The city council have proposed William Nicol Drive, which connects the north of Johannesburg to the CBD, should be renamed after the late struggle stalwart. Naturally, opponents of the name change are crying foul, suggesting that this is an erasure of history. But what history would that be?
Early life
He was born in Robertson, Western Cape (known as Cape Colony at the time under British rule) and was brought up in a strongly religious family.
He would go on to assume a role as minister of the Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, and he even became the founder of Johannesburg East’s parish magazine Irenenuus in January 1923.
Education
Nicol graduated from three universities, after studying at Stellenbosch, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the prestigious school of Princeton in the US. His education helped him form the basis of what he wanted to achieve in advancing the cause of the Afrikaner people.
He opposed Bantu Education
The minister was a strong opponent of apartheid’s efforts to limit educational opportunities for citizens of colour. He was a staunch believer of teaching all South Africans in their mother tongue, with English being treated as a second language so everyone could communicate.
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Helped translate the Bible into IsiZulu
One of his most famous achievements was working to make Christian teachings available in different South African languages. He had the most success with the Zulu version of the holy book, where his passion for preserving the linguistic rights of learners was put to effective use.
Time in office
He was the chairperson for the Afrikaner Broederband, a male-only organisation that sought to preserve their heritage. Nicol became the governor of Transvaal in 1948, serving 10 years in the position.
Why the road was named William Nicol Drive
Long story short, the road was established during Nicol’s time as the Transvaal governer. As he was overseeing much of the development, he named the stretch after himself. Always good to have power, isn’t it?
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