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Stuff from Johannesburg

South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 22 September | MyJHB.co.za

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Tuesday 22 September: Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku, his wife Johannesburg MMC Loyiso, and presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko will have to wait at least another three weeks before they learn their fate, with the … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Shows From 20 Countries Featured In JCTC’s VOICES THEATRE FEST: Jersey City Theater Center presents the 2nd annual Voices International Theatre Festival from Friday October 16 to Sunday October 25, a unique hybrid of virtual and live events featuring the work of … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. State Capture Inquiry hears how Free State human settlements department paid millions for houses that had not been built: The Zondo Commission into State Capture has scrutinized details on why the Free State department of human settlements made R600 million in payments to contractors and suppliers for work that was not … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Born to prevent war, UN at 75 faces a deeply polarized world: Cara Anna contributed to this report from Johannesburg and Angela Charlton from Paris. Longtime international correspondent Edith M. Lederer has been chief U.N. correspondent for The Associated … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. CSA will appoint ‘someone else’ as Test skipper: Mark Boucher: Johannesburg: South Africa head coach Mark Boucher feels that limited-overs skipper Quinton de Kock has “too much workload to handle” and the “management will look for a new face” to lead the Test … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Visiting Port Elizabeth?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Johannesburg is the world’s biggest man-made forest, with over 10 million trees. This number is set to grow, as City Parks launched the Greening Soweto project in 2006, with the goal of planting an extra 200 000 trees in the famous township. Not only do Joburg’s trees combat the greenhouse effect, they help reduce noise in this ‘urban jungle’.

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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.