Consider all factors when renaming airport

THE letter from Henry Arendse published in the Cape Argus, April 26, refers.

Mr Arendse has forgotten an important issue where the renaming of the airport is concerned: “international”.

The airport is a major facility where international visitors enter South Africa, whether or not the visitors remain in the Western Cape for the remainder of their holiday here.

I take Mr Arendse’s point that he wants to see some historical Khoisan individual properly recognised.

But he has overlooked the rather important fact that their historical figures are not well known and they relate to a relatively limited region of South Africa, although I stand to be corrected on that point.

The airport needs to be renamed after an individual of international status and who is universally recognised as such and there aren’t many of them. One obvious candidate is Nelson Mandela. Julius Malema has been rather silly, not un-noted for him, of course, in suggesting Winnie Mandela because she is a national figure of note, in no way of substantial international status, whatever Malema would like to think, or convince others.

The international status of South Africa where foreign visitors are concerned is, like it or not, very important for the economy, particularly of the Western Cape and I would suggest that on the subject of the possibility of renaming the airport, this point needs to be borne in mind.

Calling it Azania, no matter how much it is favoured by South Africans, would be a great mistake.

And in the renaming process, do take care not to get caught up in Malema’s renaming nonsense. It will bear South Africans no benefits.

I can see this and I don’t even enter into the matter I am not pushing any preference of mine, only commenting on what pragmatism dictates.