MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

DRI seizes 12 Kgs of Heroin, worth 78 cr at RGIA

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. DRI seizes 12 Kgs of Heroin, worth 78 cr at RGIA: The Officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have arrested two air passengers and seized about 12 kgs of NDPS substance suspected to be Heroin worth about Rs 78 crore from their … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. British and Irish Lions: Kyle Sinckler replaces injured Andrew Porter in Warren Gatland’s squad: Kyle Sinckler will replace injured tighthead prop Andrew Porter in Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa this summer. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Digital Vibes director and owner lays charges of her own: The Digital Vibes scandal involving millions of rand that was paid to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s close allies has taken an unexpected turn, with the company’s director and owner laying charges of … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Joburg and Tshwane seeing bulk of new Covid-19 infections in Gauteng: There are 3,062 people in hospital for Covid-19 in Gauteng, the health department said on Sunday. The province has seen a total of 471,613 cases with 438,701 recoveries and 11,404 deaths as at … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. Death Valley area place names – Death Valley National Park Forum: Most are newcomers who might wonder how to pronounce some place names, or “Where did that come from?” So here is a list of some that you might encounter in your explorations. If anyone has others to … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Travelling to South Africa?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? In 1971 the South African Broadcasting Corporation was eventually allowed to introduce a television service. When television was finally introduced, there was only one channel with airtime divided evenly between English and Afrikaans, alternating between the two languages. Test transmissions in Johannesburg began on 5 May 1975, followed in July by ones in Cape Town and Durban. Nationwide services finally commenced on 5 January 1976.

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The World’s Largest Man-Made Urban Forest

One of the most surprising facts about Johannesburg is its status as a “green” city. When the first settlers arrived, the Highveld was a barren, treeless grassland (savannah). To support the mining industry, millions of trees were imported and planted to provide timber for mine underground supports. Fast forward to the present day, and Johannesburg is widely considered the largest man-made urban forest in the world.

There are an estimated 10 million trees within the city limits. This includes 1.2 million trees on sidewalks and in parks, and over 4.8 million in private gardens. This forest is so dense that satellite images of the northern suburbs often resemble a tropical rainforest. The most iconic of these trees is the Jacaranda, which was imported from South America in the early 20th century. Every October and November, the city turns a vibrant shade of purple as thousands of Jacarandas bloom simultaneously. However, this “forest” also highlights the city’s historical inequality; during the Apartheid era, trees were predominantly planted in wealthy white suburbs, leaving townships like Soweto as dusty plains. In the last two decades, “Greening Soweto” initiatives have seen hundreds of thousands of trees planted to bridge this “green divide,” emphasizing the role of urban forestry in social justice and climate cooling.