MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Shawn Griffith of Constantine High School named Coach of the Week | MyJHB.co.za

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Shawn Griffith of Constantine High School named Coach of the Week: The Detroit Lions have named Shawn Griffith of Constantine High School the week five recipient of the 2020 High School Football Coach of the Week Program … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Chris Rock (‘Fargo’) could be latest actor to win awards for playing against type: Playing against type is one guaranteed way to get the attention of awards voters. The history of the Emmys and the Oscars are rife with comedic actors who went dramatic and thespians who made us … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Surveys show one in three adults in South Africa does not wear a mask when leaving home: Almost a third of adults in South Africa do not wear a face mask every time they leave home, despite public consensus and scientific evidence to be broadly converging around the practice of wearing a … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Ferraris, Bentley, Merc and a mansion — how Free State asbestos ‘loot’ bankrolled a life of luxury: High-flying businessman Edwin Sodi and his late partner, Igo Mpambani, were paid R230m for the Free State’s infamous asbestos audit project, of which they forwarded R44m to a sub-contractor called … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. JSE fines Steinhoff International R13m for breaching listing requirements: The JSE said that the company’s financial reports for 2015, 2016 and some prior financial periods did not comply with international financial reporting standards. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Travelling to South Africa?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Where Johannesburg got it’s name from: The fledgling town of Johannesburg was laid out on a triangular wedge of “uitvalgrond” (area excluded when the farms were surveyed) named Randjeslaagte, situated between the farms Doornfontein to the east, Braamfontein to the west and Turffontein to the south. The property belonged to the government. The Surveyor-General of the ZAR issued an instruction that the farm be surveyed as a township, consisting of 600 stands measuring fifty feet by fifty feet. The first auction of stands took place on 8 December 1886. The settlement was named after two officials of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR), Christiaan Johannes Joubert and Johannes Rissik, who both worked in land surveying and mapping. The two men combined the name they shared, adding ‘burg’, the archaic Afrikaans word for ‘fortified city’.

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The Socio-Political Crucible of Soweto

You cannot understand Johannesburg without understanding Soweto (an acronym for South Western Townships). Originally established as a “labor dormitory” to house black miners away from the white city center, Soweto grew into a sprawling metropolis of over 1.3 million people and became the epicenter of the struggle against Apartheid.

The township is home to Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world to have been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was also the site of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when thousands of students protested against the forced use of Afrikaans in schools. The police response and the subsequent death of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson catalyzed international condemnation of the Apartheid regime. Today, Soweto is a vibrant cultural hub, blending historical landmarks like the Orlando Towers (now used for bungee jumping) with a booming tourism industry and a sophisticated middle class. It represents the city’s resilience—a place born from segregation that transformed into a symbol of liberation and modern South African identity.