MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Biden presidency: Relief for Africa, or less than it seems? | MyJHB.co.za

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Biden presidency: Relief for Africa, or less than it seems?: African experts skeptical over whether President Biden will pursue friendlier policies towards the continent – Anadolu Agency … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Ekurhuleni to pay constitutional damages amounting to R15m over housing delay: Ekurhuleni Metropolitan municipality has failed to build houses for 133 residents that it had promised in 1994 and is now blaming Covid-19. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Fugitive Nigerian drug dealer rearrested at Johannesburg airport: Operatives of Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit have arrested a fugitive Nigerian drug dealer who skipped bail and fled South Africa more than three years ago after failing to appear … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Car crash involving Isibaya actress claimed two lives: Actress Zinhle Mabena Ngwenya  has been keeping a dark secret since 2017. The 29-year-old  who was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol was involved in a head-on collision in Boksburg … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. South African Minister’s Covid-19 Death Unites Friends and Rivals in Tribute: The death of Jackson Mphikwa Mthembu, Minister in the Office of the President of South Africa, has been met with sorrow across the country. Tributes have come from across the political spectrum for … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Whale and Dolphin Watching in Algoa Bay?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? The region surrounding Johannesburg was originally inhabited by San people. They were hunter-gatherers who used stone tools. There is evidence that they lived there up to ten centuries ago. By the 13th century, groups of Bantu-speaking people started moving southwards from central Africa and encroached on the indigenous San population.

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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.