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Stuff from Johannesburg

Four cash-in-transit suspects killed in Johannesburg | MyJHB.co.za

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Four cash-in-transit suspects killed in Johannesburg: Johannesburg police says four alleged cash-in-transit robbery suspects have been killed during a shootout with police at a safe house in Katlegong on the Gauteng East Rand. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. UPDATE 1-Another big storm, growing stronger, set to hit central Mozambique: JOHANNESBURG, Jan 22 (Reuters) – A powerful storm nearing Mozambique is expected to intensify into a tropical cyclone on Friday, according to forecasts, dumping rain onto already swollen rivers in an … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. World-leading scholar to join book launch event: One of the academic world’s leading postcolonial scholars will be among guests at a book launch hosted by a research group at King’s College London. Professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (Columbia … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Cheap Flights from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo to Oaxaca (JNB – OAX): Are there any travel restrictions from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo to Oaxaca right now? Oaxaca is currently open to travellers from Johannesburg O.R. Tambo. Check our live COVID-19 map for Mexico travel … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. WATCH | Are you doing it wrong? Here’s ‘how to say things like a proper Joburger’: New to Johannesburg and need a quick 411 on how to speak like a “true Joburger”? TikTok star Troy Sheperds has the perfect hack. In a short video, Sheperds spilled the tea on Jozi lingo for talking to … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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

Did you know this about Johannesburg? The Soweto Uprising was a series of protests led by high school students in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. It is estimated that 20,000 students took part in the protests. The number of protesters killed by police was officially given as 176, but estimates of up to 700 have been made. In remembrance of these events, the 16th of June is now a public holiday in South Africa. A thirteen year old Black boy, Hector Pieterson, is the iconic first victim of police brutality, but Dr Melville Edelstein, who had devoted his life to social welfare among blacks, was soon forgotten. He was stoned to death by the mob and left with a sign around his neck proclaiming “Beware Afrikaners”.

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.