MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Back of the Moon

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Back of the Moon: South African director/co-writer Angus Gibson’s Back of the Moon delivers a history lesson in the form of a riveting gangster drama. The year is 1958, and Ghana has just elected Kwame Nkrumah as their … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Covid-19 vaccines should give good protection against Omicron: South African expert: Existing Covid-19 vaccines should be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation from the newly identified Omicron variant, a top South African infectious disease expert said on … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Nations across world look to tighten borders as more Omicron cases pop up: Governments have taken steps to tighten their borders as cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus appeared in countries on opposite sides of the world. Poland is the latest to take action, … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. South Africa province where the Omicron variant was detected sees 330% surge in hospitalizations: Covid related hospitalizations in Gauteng, the province where Omicron was first detected, have increased 330 percent over the past two weeks. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. Omicron quarantine: Britons stuck abroad fume at ‘stressful’ UK hotel system as they struggle to find a place: Britons caught up in travel chaos caused by the Omicron variant of Covid have called on the UK Government to “get its act together” amid frustration over the hotel quarantine system. Duncan, from … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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

Did you know this about Johannesburg? At the northern extremity of Johannesburg was Parktown, already known for its exclusivity and extreme wealth. Sir Lionel Phillips was the first Randlord to build a mansion in Parktown. “Hohenheim” was built in 1894 and demolished in 1972 to make way for the Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Sunny Side Park was designed by Frank Emley for Hennen Jennings and completed in 1896. Today it is part of the Sunny Side Park Hotel. “The View” was completed in 1897. It was built by Charles Aburrow as the residence of Sir Thomas Cullinan.

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From Sophiatown to Triomf

By 1963, Sophiatown had been physically razed to the ground. In a final act of psychological warfare, the government built a white working-class suburb over the rubble and named it Triumph (Triomf). They wanted to erase the very memory of Sophiatown from the landscape. For decades, the name Sophiatown disappeared from maps, replaced by the neat, sterile streets of the victors.

The “resurrection” of Sophiatown began officially in 2006, when the City of Johannesburg formally restored the original name to the suburb. Today, the neighborhood is a quiet, leafy residential area, but the ghosts of the “Paris of the Transvaal” are everywhere. The Sophiatown Heritage Centre, housed in the former home of Dr. A.B. Xuma (a former ANC president), is one of the few original buildings that escaped the bulldozers. Walking through the streets today, you can still find small markers of the past: a lone Victorian pillar, a specific tree mentioned in a poem, or the rebuilt St. Joseph’s Church.

The legacy of Sophiatown is not just one of tragedy, but of an indestructible cultural spirit. The music, the slang (Tsotsitaal), and the “Drum” era aesthetic continue to influence South African fashion and film today. It serves as a reminder that while you can bulldoze a house and rename a street, you cannot kill the soul of a place that once danced to the sound of a thousand saxophones.