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Stuff from Johannesburg

Ramaphosa requests change of dates for state capture appearance

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Ramaphosa requests change of dates for state capture appearance: JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has asked to delay his testimony before the state capture inquiry. His first appearance will now be on 28 and 29 April. READ: Ramaphosa to testify at the state … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Eskom says no load shedding today after 4 unit return to service: JOHANNESBURG – There’s some good news from Megawatt Park. Eskom said that it was not planning to turn off your electricity on Wednesday. The country was saddled with stage two load shedding from … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Novo Nordisk Achieves the Best Place to Work Certification in South Africa for 2021: JOHANNESBURG–(Business Wire)–Novo Nordisk South Africa, an affiliate of the global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care, has been recently … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Eskom ‘not expecting’ load-shedding on Wednesday: JOHANNESBURG – Eskom suspended load-shedding on Wednesday morning as announced on Tuesday. It said generation capacity has sufficiently recovered. The utility implemented load-shedding from 9pm on … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. SA vs PAK, 3rd T20I Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch South Africa vs Pakistan Live Streaming Online: The hosts will be on seventh heaven after their remarkable turnaround in the 2nd T20I in Johannesburg. Despite being plagued with injuries and several players participating in the ongoing IPL 2021, … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Johannesburg has a massive infrastructure: The city has more than 8000 km of water pipes and more than 8000 km of sewage pipes. It has more than 180,000 streetlights and more than 100 water towers and reservoirs. The city also has more than 1700 traffic lights. There are more than 120 community health clinics, 10 environmental health clinics, 35 cemeteries (which cover over 600 hectares) and 59 public swimming pools. The city has 106 dams, 394 public sport facilities and 98 public recreation centers. Despite the fact that there’s a huge amount of infrastructure, Johannesburg still has more 1000 hectares of green space in an around it.

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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.