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Stuff from Johannesburg

Ekurhuleni is Not for Sale

Statement by Khathutshelo Rasilingwane MPL – DA Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate:

Today, I stood outside the Ekurhuleni Council Chambers with hundreds of DA activists, councillors and residents who are tired of watching corruption, political protection and poor governance rob our City of its future.

Corruption is not a victimless crime. Every rand stolen or wasted is a rand that cannot be used to fix a pothole, maintain a substation, repair a leaking pipe, keep a streetlight working or create opportunities for our young people.

We also remembered those who paid the ultimate price for standing against corruption, including former Ekurhuleni forensic audit chief Mpho Mafole, finance official Simnikiwe Mapini and Gauteng whistleblower Babita Deokaran.

They had the courage to speak up when they saw wrongdoing, and we cannot allow fear to silence the next generation of whistleblowers.

That is why I have committed that, within my first 100 days as Mayor, I will establish a dedicated Whistleblower Protection Unit in the City of Ekurhuleni. It will operate independently and give honest officials a safe way to report wrongdoing without fear of intimidation or retaliation.

Later today, the apparent face of police corruption in Ekurhuleni, Julius Mkhwanazi, will have yet another bail hearing. I will look him in the eye as he sits in the accused bench.

When elected to government, we will follow the money. We will investigate allegations properly. Where there is evidence of criminal conduct, we will ensure that cases are handed to law enforcement and followed through until there are consequences.

Ekurhuleni does not belong to politicians, officials or tenderpreneurs. It belongs to her residents.

If we crush corruption, we can stabilise the City’s finances, improve service delivery, attract investment, create jobs and build safer communities.

The time for excuses is over. It is time to restore accountability, protect those who speak out and get Ekurhuleni working again.

The money they steal belongs to residents. This is not their City. This City belongs to its residents.

Ekurhuleni is not for sale.

We call on all residents of Ekurhuleni to stand against corruption together, and get Ekurhuleni working for all.

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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.