OR Tambo decision 'unlikely to change'

[.geek]

Several dozen submissions on Johannesburg International Airport's name change to OR Tambo International Airport have been received, the Ministry of Arts and Culture said on Monday.

Ministry spokesperson Sandile Memela, said the submission have been a "mixed-bag," some for and some against the name change.

"It is to soon to determine trends, only once the deadline for submissions has passed would we able to say so how many were for and against the change," Memela said.

Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan published the proposed name change in the Government Gazette on June 30, giving until the end of July for comment.

Memela said last week said it was "unlikely" that the decision to change the name would change. In an SABC interview Jordan said only "compelling reasons" would make him change his mind.

Source: IOL

Great, I wonder how much this is going to cost in total?

 

[kingmonty]

so what in his opinion would constitute "compelling reasons"??

 

[MaD]

Every brochure, website, letterhead, business card, map, contact entry, airline company, travel bureau, travel agency etc etc etc would have to make changes just because one person doesn't feel like changing his mind unless HE has 'compelling reasons'.

Every time they change names of something it has repurcussions everywhere - the name doesn't just change, everything that bears the name, refers to it or has reference to it has to change as well. This costs MONEY.

The cost involved in changing names makes it expensive and pointless. Confusing tourists is a side effect, and name-changes creates the idea of instability - what other country renames places every other week?

Are they going through the history books, blindfolding each other and picking people to name things after? Rather write a book about these famous people than cost everyone money by changing names of important places.

 

[Gunny]

If every bussiness affected decided to petition the Gov. for reimbursement of fees spent on changing stationary, registaring address changes pulling mapbooks to reprint from shelves and the like do you think he will change his mind ? I bet he would call those businesses unpatriotic. Go on sir prove me wrong.

 

[stoke]

He'll just say that the old name will be common public knowledge for about another 40 years so the things that you mentioned above will not have to actually happen immediately.

You need a proper reason. Like: Jan Smuts was a better name, or maybe Mugabe is a better name, or perhaps ANC International Airport is the best name, and then justify it.

Cost is not provable so it's not an argument. This is an emotional issue.

 

[Gunny]

Cant run a Country on the emotions of Govenment ministers.

 

[Highflyer_GP]

So WTF is the point of inviting public comment if his mind is already made up!?

Each minister is given too much power of free reign in their respective fields, and it's at times like this when the president needs to step in to prevent them from overstepping the line.

 

[Gunny]

The President steps in and all of a sudden he is biased. Happened before. There is nothing we can do man. Someone plz remind me what democracy is ??

 

[BTTB]

Rubber-stamp

So WTF is the point of inviting public comment if his mind is already made up!?

To Rubber-stamp the decision?

..Comment from Minister when asked by another parliamentary official about the validity of the decision and if it was properly advertised...

"We had workshops, meetings and even invited the public to comment in the newspaper", said the Minister while producing a cut-out of the local newspaper advert....

Needless to say there will no mention of the people that actually stood against the name change. The overall picture before it gets pushed through the Government Gazette is that it went through due process, which in essence is not the whole truth if there were objections.

Later..
When questioned after the decision is made, they will simply state that you were invited to make comment, hence you took part in the decision making process. In other words, the rubber-stamping process.

 

[Skeptik]

And by the minister Jordaan (oops, sorry, these days it is 'Jordan') saying openly "my decision is unlikely to change" who is going to bother posting their objections -- Nobody!

 

[reech]

Anyone read this whacky, whacky interview?

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A195363

Oh, what a hoot!

His logic is hurting my head.

 

[Gunny]

Anyone read this whacky, whacky interview?

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A195363

Oh, what a hoot!

His logic is hurting my head.

To Mr Jordan that all makes sense. See we all live in his little world.
Comes across as a bit arrogant too hey.

 

[Waron]

Yes, I previously defended the JHB international airport name change as being part of the African Union (as with Tswane) and building the SA brand internationally.

It seems neither of these were the reason for making this change, it is simply a local muncipality naming stuff!

 

[Freshy-ZN]

Anyone read this whacky, whacky interview?

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/articles/article.aspx?ID=ST6A195363

Oh, what a hoot!

His logic is hurting my head.

My God that is just too much idiocy for me to handle. Pallo Jordan is a complete and utter imbecile.

 

[Highflyer_GP]

Yes, I previously defended the JHB international airport name change as being part of the African Union (as with Tswane) and building the SA brand internationally.

It seems neither of these were the reason for making this change, it is simply a local muncipality naming stuff!

Good on you for admitting when you were mistaken

 

[rwenzori]

If the Cape Town municipality, which is controlled by the Democratic Alliance, decided to rename Cape Town airport Tony Leon International ...

Don’t be absurd. Tony Leon is a midget next to Oliver Tambo.

Okay, it’s absurd, I agree. But you get my point. Let’s say they decided to rename it the Helen Suzman International Airport?

Even Helen Suzman! I mean, do you want to compare Helen Suzman [to] Oliver Tambo? Don’t be ridiculous.

Well I vote Cape Town applies to rename their airport "Jan Smuts International" !

 

[Highflyer_GP]

This idiot just said that as long as the municipality follows the lawful procedure, he will approve it. Then when called on his statement and asked if he would approve name changes made by the DA, he starts comparing names and then says he won't. So who exactly is breaking the law - the municipality or the minister? Obviously it can't be the former because he said so himself. And that would mean that by selectively approving names (even though the correct procedure was followed), that he's acting in a non-democratic manner?

 

[DigitalSoldier]

I’m not so sure about that. I think OR Tambo is pretty well known internationally. It might not be known to many South Africans, but he is very well known internationally.

How true is that ?

And if its true how does it help us for the South African branding if most South Africans dont know who Thambo was but the international community knows

 

[reech]

How about we rename Pallo Jordan?
'Big Dufus' should do it.

Suggestions on a postcard to:

Ministry of Arts and culture,
Private Bag X 9156
CAPE TOWN
8000

 

[Dastrix]

I wonder if businesses affected by the name change can sue/claim for the money they have to spend in order to reprint/rebrand etc? Would love to see that happen in response to this idiotic descision.