MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Darren Fichardt

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Darren Fichardt: News from The Associated Press, the definitive source for independent journalism from every corner of the globe. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. CSA congratulates Momentum Proteas on ODI Series win in India: JOHANNESBURG: Cricket South Africa (CSA) has congratulated the Momentum Proteas for completing an outstanding Women’s One-Day International Series win over India on Sunday. South Africa moved into an … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. DA meets with artists at sit-in at NAC office – Tsepo Mhlongo: DA meets with artists at sit-in at NAC office. 12. Yesterday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) met with artists staging a sit-in at the National Arts Council (NAC) offices … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Coronavirus (COVID-19) National News: JOHANNESBURG — South Africa is preparing to give its first COVID-19 vaccinations — shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine still being tested — to health care workers this week, the health minister … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. LIVESTREAM: SA Union of Students briefs media: The South African Union of Students is briefing the media on the outcome of urgent SRC meetings. This comes after days of protests at campuses around the country. R … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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

Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? It’s earned the title ‘city of gold’: The city of Johannesburg was formed by a gold rush in the 19th century – 4 October 1886 to be exact.

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Top Star Drive-In: The Cinema on the Mountain of Gold

The Ferreira Dump began growing in the late 1800s, composed of the crushed rock and chemical residue left over after early, inefficient mining processes had extracted as much gold as the technology of the time allowed. By the 1960s, it was a flat-topped, man-made mesa overlooking the city. In a stroke of entrepreneurial genius, the surface was tarred and the Top Star Drive-In was opened. It quickly became a South African institution. Its appeal was not just the movies, but the unparalleled view: as the sun set, the massive white screen would flicker to life against a backdrop of the glowing skyscrapers of the Central Business District, separated from the viewer only by the elevated M2 highway.

In the decades before television arrived in South Africa (1976), the Top Star was a primary social hub. It was a democratic space in an undemocratic time; while the city below was strictly segregated, the “car” served as a private bubble that allowed a degree of social freedom not found in traditional theaters. For many Johannesburgers, the Top Star was a site of nostalgic rites of passage—first dates, family outings where children were piled into the back of station wagons with blankets and flasks of tea, and the Saturday “car market” where the parking lot transformed into a sprawling hub for buying and selling second-hand vehicles.