MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Cape Town sole host of Boks, Lions series

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Cape Town sole host of Boks, Lions series: All three Tests between world champions South Africa and the British & Irish Lions will be played in Cape Town, officials confirmed on Tuesday, wary that the risks associated of a return to the … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. UK Covid LIVE: Sharp rise in deaths amid warning ‘winter could come early’ if viruses spread in UK: The UK has recorded its highest number of deaths from Covid-19 in nearly four months, with 96 more fatalities as cases continue to surge. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Boost for Lions as all three Tests against South Africa to be played in Cape Town: The second and third Tests were originally due to be staged at altitude in Johannesburg but have been switched amid rising Covid numbers … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. British and Irish Lions’ final TWO tests against South Africa will be played in Cape Town: After Saturday’s opener at Cape Town Stadium, the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa was scheduled to relocate to Johannesburg for the remaining games. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. Lions to play final two South Africa Tests in Cape Town: The British and Irish Lions will play the final two Tests of their series against South Africa in Cape Town in order to reduce the risk of either camp suffering additional outbrea … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? The Rissik Street Post Office was built in 1897, having been designed by the architect Sytze Wierda. The Post Office was at one time the tallest building in Johannesburg. The Post Office became a national monument in 1978, and it remained in operation until 1996 when the South African Post Office vacated the building. The monument was gutted by a fire in 2009. The old City Hall is opposite the Post Office in Rissik Street.

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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.