Omar's legacy not a patch on Jan Smuts's: iLIVE
Jan Christiaan Smuts is one of the most decorated South Africans in history ("Dullah Omar vs Jan Smuts", yesterday). A Cambridge law graduate, Smuts was described by Professor FW Maitland, a leading figure among English legal historians, as the most brilliant student he ever had.
Like Nelson Mandela, Smuts was a true statesman. He played a leading role in the formation of the League of Nations, and later urged the formation of a new international organisation for peace - the UN.
Smuts wrote the preamble to the United Nations Charter, and was the only person to sign the charters of both the League of Nations and the UN.
In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as the prime minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948.
Dullar Omar also qualified as a lawyer and was a shining light in the dark days of apartheid.
In 1994, Omar became the first justice minister of the new democratic South Africa.
He served his full five-year term under president Nelson Mandela until June 1999, when he was appointed to the position of minister of transport by then-president Thabo Mbeki.
However, if you had to weigh Omar' s and Smuts's achievements - their historical contribution to South African society and their influence on international affairs - there is little doubt about who deserves the most prestige .
I would say no to a road name change.
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