MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Baby son of Springboks great dies in tragic drowning

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Baby son of Springboks great dies in tragic drowning: The 10-month son of South African rugby star Jannie du Plessis has died in an accidental drowning at the family home near Johannesburg.  Jan Nathaniël’s de … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. SEE International Provides Essential and Transformative Eye Care and Surgery Around the World: Host doctors in underserved locations around the world invite SEE ophthalmologists, optometrists, and eye care professionals to work side-by-side in providing sight-restoring surgeries … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Former Orlando Pirates star behind bars for alleged house robbery!: A former Orlando Pirates star has reportedly been arrested for an alleged house robbery which occurred in Lombardy East. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. LGE 2021: The lighter (or larger) side: The lighter (or larger) side. 9 November 2021. The elections that nobody really wanted are over. The IEC was desperate to have the election date postpone … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. Rugby great’s 10-month-old son killed in backyard drowning tragedy: South African rugby star Jannie du Plessis has been rocked by the tragic drowning death of his 10-month old son. The former Springboks player was reportedly celebrating his 39th birthday on Wednesday … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Reach Trust for Solar and Building Management?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Where Johannesburg got it’s name from: The fledgling town of Johannesburg was laid out on a triangular wedge of “uitvalgrond” (area excluded when the farms were surveyed) named Randjeslaagte, situated between the farms Doornfontein to the east, Braamfontein to the west and Turffontein to the south. The property belonged to the government. The Surveyor-General of the ZAR issued an instruction that the farm be surveyed as a township, consisting of 600 stands measuring fifty feet by fifty feet. The first auction of stands took place on 8 December 1886. The settlement was named after two officials of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), Christiaan Johannes Joubert and Johannes Rissik, who both worked in land surveying and mapping. The two men combined the name they shared, adding ‘burg’, the archaic Afrikaans word for ‘fortified city’.

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The Socio-Political Crucible of Soweto

You cannot understand Johannesburg without understanding Soweto (an acronym for South Western Townships). Originally established as a “labor dormitory” to house black miners away from the white city center, Soweto grew into a sprawling metropolis of over 1.3 million people and became the epicenter of the struggle against Apartheid.

The township is home to Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was also the site of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when thousands of students protested against the forced use of Afrikaans in schools. The police response and the subsequent death of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson catalyzed international condemnation of the Apartheid regime. Today, Soweto is a vibrant cultural hub, blending historical landmarks like the Orlando Towers (now used for bungee jumping) with a booming tourism industry and a sophisticated middle class. It represents the city’s resilience—a place born from segregation that transformed into a symbol of liberation and modern South African identity.