Airport renaming not based on most suggestions received
The Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) says the new names of four airports in the country will not necessarily be based on the most popular suggestions.
The public has until midnight on June 6 to submit suggestions for new names for four airports.
“It’s not based on most votes, most named but there is however a clear intent to obtain public sentiment,” says ACSA’s Deidre Davids.
Tempers flared at a public meeting to discuss the renaming of Cape Town International Airport on Monday evening.
Chaos erupted after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and representatives from Khoisan community could not agree on whether the airport should be named after struggle icon, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela or Krotoa.
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Krotoa worked at Jan Van Riebeeck’s home as a nanny for his children, a servant for his household, and as an interpreter for the Dutch.
Davids says the new name will not be based on the most suggestions received for a particular airport from the public.
“The recommendation will be made to the Provincial Geographic Naming Council, they will review this from a process prospective and also evaluate the name. They will then make a recommendation to the MEC of Arts and Culture who then submits to the National Geographic Naming Council who will ultimately make a recommendation to the Minister of Arts and Culture.”
ACSA has not set any deadline for the renaming of the airports, but according to Davids “there are to very important milestones that must be concluded which is the evaluations by these two Geographic Naming Councils”.