MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Beware of conmen posing as prophets, Joburg police warn residents

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Beware of conmen posing as prophets, Joburg police warn residents: JOHANNESBURG – Johannesburg residents are being warned to look out for people posing as prophets who are robbing their victims of their … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  2. A new R880m, five-star hotel has opened in Johannesburg and it's stunning [photos]: Okay, this is what we call luxury! The Houghton Hotel is officially open for business as of this week, and we're confident it will have no trouble in … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  3. UPDATE 1-South Africa's Long4Life beats sales estimates, suspends dividend: JOHANNESBURG, May 15 (Reuters) – South African investment firm Long4Life on Wednesday suspended its dividend after spending on share … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  4. SABC radio building evacuated after massive diesel leak, people still trapped: The SABC's Radio Park building in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, was evacuated on Wednesday morning at around 10:45 following a diesel leak. – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  5. Just in: “Diesel leak” at SABC building sparks evacuation: … SABC Radio Park building in Auckland Park Johannesburg have been evacuated, reportedly due to fumes. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/r8SOxbyxSW. – Google Alert – Johannesburg

Click here to submit your Johannesburg, Gauteng News – free.

Have you tried: Travelling to South Africa?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Johannesburg’s traffic is brutal: According to figures released earlier in 2018, the city is the 2nd most congested city in South Africa (behind Cape Town). It’s the 44th most congested city globally. Johannesburg residents spent an average of 46 hours in peak traffic in 2017. The city has more than 7500 km of roads.

Category: Tag: , , , , , , ,

Ponte City: Transformation

As the “white flight” of the 1980s and 90s drained the inner city of capital, Ponte City underwent a dramatic and terrifying transformation. By the late 1990s, the building had become a “vertical slum” and a symbol of urban decay. It was famously “hijacked” by gangs; the retail levels were stripped, and the building became a fortress for drug dealing and human trafficking. The most haunting image from this era was the central core. Originally designed to be a light-filled courtyard, it became a literal trash heap. Residents on the upper floors would throw their refuse into the center of the building rather than taking it down. At its worst point, the trash in the core reached five stories high—a mountain of rotting debris, discarded furniture, and even, legend has it, the remains of those who had fallen or jumped.

During this period, the reputation of Ponte was so toxic that there was a serious proposal in 1998 to turn the entire skyscraper into a vertical prison. The plan was eventually scrapped, but the building remained a “no-go zone” for nearly a decade. The turnaround began in the mid-2000s when developers New Metro Property Group and later Dlala Nje began a massive, painstaking refurbishment. They cleared out the tons of trash from the core, restored the lifts (which had often been out of order, forcing residents to climb 50 flights of stairs), and implemented strict security protocols.