MyJHB

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From 64.51% in 2024 to 97.18% in 2025

Dear Editor

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) surge to victory in today’s Johannesburg, Ward 90 by-election proves one thing: people believe in Joburg, and people believe in the DA.

The DA’s vote share in Johannesburg Ward 90 grew as follows: From 64.51% in 2024 to 97.18% in 2025

Johannesburg’s voters are uniting behind the DA, and behind our belief that Joburg can and should work. The only party that can deliver a City that does work, is the DA, and today’s by-election result proves that voters know that.

Newly elected Councillor, Renate van Onselen, joins a team of dedicated, hard-working public representatives who together carry a vision for a working, effective government in Joburg.

Come the local government election, their belief in Joburg will turn our City around.

We extend our sincerest thanks to every single person who voted DA today. You have added your voice to a growing surge of belief. We believe in Joburg, and we will turn our City around.

Regards

Wendy Alexander MP
DA Johannesburg Regional Chairperson

Source – MyZA

Free Press Release Submissions from MyPR.co.za

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Sophiatown: The Lost “Paris of the Transvaal”

Sophiatown’s golden age was the 1940s and 50s. It was a dense, vibrant, and often dangerous neighborhood, characterized by “backyard” rooms, shebeens (illegal speakeasies), and a sophisticated social scene. It was the birthplace of Kwaito’s ancestors and the legendary “Marabi” music—a blend of traditional African rhythms and American ragtime. The streets were home to the most iconic figures of African literature and music: Miriam Makeba found her voice here; Hugh Masekela received his first trumpet from a local priest; and the writers of Drum magazine, like Can Themba and Bloke Modisane, used the neighborhood as their muse. They dressed in Fedora hats and double-breasted suits, channeling the style of Hollywood gangsters and Harlem intellectuals, creating a world that was cosmopolitain, intellectual, and radically multi-racial.

However, the “Bohemia” of Sophiatown was an existential threat to the National Party’s vision of total racial separation. The government viewed it as a “black spot” in a white area. In 1955, the state launched Western Areas Removal Scheme. On the morning of February 9th, 2,000 heavily armed police officers moved in, forcing families into trucks at gunpoint. They were relocated to the newly established matchbox houses of the South Western Townships (Soweto), 20 kilometers away. The resistance was led by figures like Trevor Huddleston, the Anglican priest whose church, St. Joseph’s, still stands today. Despite the slogan “Ons dak nie, ons pola hier” (We are not moving, we are staying here), the bulldozers were relentless.